Cafeteria Account Information

Each independent school cafeteria offers a cafeteria account payment option as a convenience to the students and parents and, in turn, asks that parents help support the cafeteria’s efforts to keep a balanced budget by keeping their student’s cafeteria account balance positive at all times. 

Parents can add money to their student's cafeteria account online by logging into eFunds or into Skyward. Steps to replenish your student’s cafeteria account through Skyward are below:

1. Launch Skyward
2. Click on “Food Service”         
3. Click “Make a Payment" to be redirected to the eFunds web portal
4. Click “Fund Lunch”
5. The last step is to click “Login” to launch your eFunds account using your Skyward credentials

You may also set your student’s account to automatically reload when the balance gets low. Follow these steps in eFunds:

1. Select “Payment Settings” 
2. Click on “Low Meal Balance Settings”    
3. Click “Activate Low Meal Balance Settings”    
4. Adjust settings to the desired amount

If you do not want to automatically reload your account, we suggest you at least turn on low balance notifications under "Manage Account" and "Notification Settings."

Please ensure that your student's cafeteria account is positive at all times. As established by the Board, a student with an exhausted or insufficient balance on his or her meal card or meal account shall be allowed to continue to purchase meals for up to a total of $25 in elementary school, up to a total of $15 in intermediate/middle school, and up to a total of $10 in high school. Please refer to District Local CO Policy for further information.

To further help support the cafeteria’s efforts to keep a balanced budget by keeping their student’s cafeteria account balance positive at all times, additional guidelines will be followed at each school cafeteria.

1. Negative Account Balances - If a student’s cafeteria account reaches a balance of negative $25 at an elementary campus, a negative $15 at the intermediate/middle school, and up to a total of $10 in high school, the account will be put on a temporary close until payment is made. If the student’s cafeteria account reaches a balance of negative a second time in the amounts referenced above, the account will be permanently closed for the remainder of the school year. Failed payments (returned from eFunds or bank account as un-collectable) will not be counted towards account balances.
2. Failed Account Payments - If a student’s account has three failed payments (returned from eFunds or bank account as un-collectable) the account will be permanently closed for the remainder of the school year. Cash or a cashier’s check will be required to fund the student’s account. Arrangements will need to be made to fund the student’s account with each individual cafeteria manager of the campus in which your student is attending, as some campuses have gone cashless, so cash won’t be able to be accepted at the cash register.
3. Account Refund Requests – Since all cafeteria funds are managed by each individual campus cafeteria finance committee, any refunds due and/or requested upon a student’s withdrawal from the district are processed at the campus level. All refund requests must be made in writing and submitted to the campus cafeteria manager in which your student/students were enrolled. Refund requests will be processed on a student’s cafeteria account that has a remaining balance of $10.00 or greater for up to 90 days after the student has left the district. Any accounts that do not request a refund within the 90-day grace period and/or has a balance of $10.00 or less will automatically be donated to the campus PTA/PTO Faculty Fund or the Student Meal Assistance Fund.
4. Meal Financial Assistance - Please be aware, Highland Park ISD does not participate in the National School Lunch Program; the district does offer its own Meal Assistance Program. Financial support may be available to HPISD families thru the local program. The cafeterias of Highland Park ISD are owned and operated by their respective PTA/PTO.  No federal funds are accepted for the student meal service operation. Any breakfast or lunch assistance given to a Highland Park ISD student is a gift to the student from the Cafeteria PTA/PTO campus in which the student is attending. Funding of the Meal Assistance Program is done independently at each campus through PTA/PTO donations, cafeteria profits or outside funding. 

Thank you for your help in supporting our amazing Food Service Program!