MealTime

Required School Year Transition Checklist

To facilitate a smooth startup for the next school year, it is especially important that you review and follow the steps below. 

1.    Contact MealTime if Your District is Changing Student Information Systems

If your district is changing Student Information Systems (SIS) in the upcoming school year, it is critical that you contact MealTime Support at 1-800-755-0904 or email mealtimesupport@harriscomputer.com to discuss how this change may affect your data. Many MealTime processes depend upon the Student ID to identify customers, so a change to the Student ID number can have a substantial impact on the program. Please be sure to contact us well in advance of the beginning of the new school year to plan for and ensure an easy transition. 

2.    Assess Your Organization’s Needs and Place Your Order for New Hardware, Programs and Supplies

3.    Schedule Training for Employees

Contact MealTime to schedule training for new employees or refresher training for existing employees. MealTime offers remote, internet-based training for up to four people for $175 per hour. Due to high call volumes from mid-August through September, we cannot schedule remote training during this period. Please plan ahead!

4.    Prepare for Online Account Payments

Make sure to check the school contact name in the My MealTime admin site and update if necessary.

Not already using My MealTime to enable parents to make debit or credit card deposits into their child’s meal account, monitor balances or pay school fees?  My MealTime is easy to set up. It has a low, one-time enrollment fee and no recurring monthly or annual fees. Call MealTime now to find out how quick and easy it is to offer your households the convenience of online payments! You will benefit from higher average account balances and a reduction in phone calls from inquiring parents.

5.    Prepare for Online Free & Reduced Meal Applications

 Respond to the email you’ve already received from our Support Department asking you for the documentation and information they’ll need to get you up and running with MealTime Apply Online for the year. 

IMPORTANT: The current MealTime Apply Online will no longer meet all of the state and federal regulations and will NOT be available to use after the 2026-2027 school year. Please see below for more information on the replacement system, MealTime Apply Online 2.0.

MealTime Apply Online 2.0

We are excited to share information on our new, all-in-one online applications system - MealTime Apply Online 2.0. This new version is a comprehensive online application system that makes it faster and easier for families to apply for NSLP, SBP, and SUN Bucks. It is a more user-friendly system that streamlines the application process. 

MealTime Apply Online 2.0 Key Features:

•    No more tedious annual renewal process: We will no longer need you to submit your letters, determining officials, and other start-up information each year.

•    Credential-free submissions: Families can submit applications without creating accounts or logging in, ensuring easy and discreet access to the application process.

•    Works on any device: Works seamlessly across smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop PCs.

•    Future-Ready Solutions: MealTime Apply Online 2.0 is built to adapt to changing regulations ensuring your food service program stays ahead of the curve.

For more information, please call us at (800) 755-0904 or email mealtimesupport@harriscomputer.com.

6.    Print an End-of-Year Balance List

From the Point of Sale module, select Reports > Customer Accounts > Customer Balance List. We suggest that you view/print all balances and, if needed, export and save the balance data. 

7.    Clear Customer Balances for Inactive Customers (Optional)

Warning: Clearing balances removes the funds permanently for the affected customer account(s).

From the Point of Sale module, select Customers > Account Details > Clear Customer Balances From here you can filter and select the type of balances you want to clear. We highly suggest you click View/Print to view the report PRIOR to clearing balances.

IMPORTANT: Do not use this feature unless your school/district requires clearing balances at the end of the school year. You should check with your business office and state authorities to see if it is required.

8.    Update Your Reimbursement Rates 

If your school district is part of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP), you may need to update Reimbursement Rates. In the Point of Sale module, select Settings > Meal Service Details > Reimbursement Rates. Click Add to add a new reimbursement rate or select a reimbursement rate you want to change and click Edit. Make the changes and click Save.

9.    Add or Update A La Carte Items and A La Carte Item Prices

In the Point of Sale module, select Settings > Meals and Food Items > A La Carte. Click Add to add a new food item or select any food item you want to change and click Edit. Make the changes and click Save.

10.    Add or Update Meals and Meal Prices

In the Point of Sale module, select Settings > Meals and Food Items > Meals. Click Add to add a new meal or select a meal you want to change and click Edit. Make the changes and click Save.

11.    Update Templates

 In the Point of Sale module, select Settings > POS Details > Templates. Click Add to add a new template or select an existing template you want to change and click Edit. Make the changes and click Save.

12.    Update Price Groups

 In the Point of Sale module, select Settings > Meal Service Details > Customer Price Groups. Click Add to add a new customer price group or select a customer price group you want to change and click Edit. Make the changes and click Save.

13.    Add or Change Homerooms

In the Point of Sale module, select Settings > District Details > Homerooms. Click Add to add a new homeroom or select a homeroom you want to change and click Edit. Make the changes and click Save. Homerooms may also be added through your regularly scheduled Customer Import. You may also remove homerooms, as long as there are no active students associated with them. Move students to other homerooms if they haven’t already been updated via import.

14.    Add or Update MealTime Usernames and Passwords

Select the Administration module and the Manage Users page opens. Click Add to create a new user or select the user you want to modify and click Edit. Make sure to inactivate any old and/or unused accounts.

REMINDER! The User Status report can help with identifying old accounts that need to be inactivated. In the Administration module, go to the menu and select Reports > User Status to generate a list of your users with the date of their respective last successful login attempts.

15.    Update CEP or Provision 2 Schools

 From the Administration module, select Settings > District Details > Schools. Select the school you need to change and click Edit. Under Provisional Program, adjust the Provision Type, enter the effective date, and Breakfast and Lunch percentages. Click Save.

Note: If you are newly enrolling a school in CEP, you do not need to adjust your meal prices. All students enrolled in a CEP-enabled school will automatically receive meals at no cost, regardless of their determined eligibility (or lack thereof).

16.    Set up and Test All MealTime Computers and Input Devices

Make sure you assess all MealTime computers and input devices (keypads, barcode scanners, etc.) before the school year begins. Connect all input devices then run MealTime. When testing, your POS system, use your training database to serve meals and a la carte items, just as you do during the school year, to ensure the hardware is connected correctly and functioning properly.

17.    Consider Implementing SSO Integration

MealTime’s Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication feature is designed to allow administrators and IT staff to easily join their existing SSO solution to MealTime for better control and security. If you are interested in implementing this feature after discussion with your IT Department, contact MealTime Support for more information about SSO configuration requirements.  There is no additional cost and setup is minimal.    

18.    Provide Your Current Contact Information

Email mealtimesupport@harriscomputer.com to update us with contact changes and additions. Please include mailing and shipping addresses, names, titles, email addresses, and telephone numbers so we can easily and quickly contact you throughout the year. 

19.    Import Your First Student Records of the New School Year

Your regularly scheduled Student Information System (SIS) import will “graduate” your students without you having to lift a finger. The next import after the students are updated in your SIS will also update them in MealTime. The Notification Center in the Point of Sale module will alert you when this change has completed.

To manually add new students to MealTime as well as change student grades and schools, you will need to export student data from your Student Information Systems (SIS) and import it into MealTime. For more information, visit the help article at: https://mealtimeclm.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/60000599292-customer-import-design.  

20.    Update Your Eligibility Expiration Date 

From the Administration module, select Settings > Eligibility Settings > Eligibility Expiration Dates. Select the current school year. Click Edit and, in the Edit Eligibility Expiration Dates section, enter the new school year expiration date in the Default Eligibility Expiration Date field before clicking Save. The new school year expiration date is 30 operating days into the next school year (2026-2027 school year). You can also set the Eligibility Expiration Date for each school if they have different starting dates.

Important: This step must be completed prior to using the Eligibility Management module to ensure new paper applications, online applications, and agency certifications are given the proper expiration date. Online applications will only be accepted in MealTime if an eligibility expiration date exists.

If your organization uses the MealTime Eligibility Management module, continue with the next series of steps below:

21.    Update the Contact Information in Eligibility Letters

From the Eligibility Management module, select Settings > District > Eligibility Settings. Click Edit and in the Determining Official and Appeals Official sections, make any changes needed then click Save

22.    Check your USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

The USDA Nondiscrimination Statement prints on many parent-facing documents such as eligibility letters, balance statement letters, and account statement reports. MealTime periodically updates this statement to reflect changes made by the USDA, however letters edited by your organization are never altered. Letters that have been altered are notated with an asterisk in your list under Letter Design. Check each letter to ensure that it features the appropriate, up-to-date USDA Nondiscrimination Statement, and make changes where necessary.

If you choose to restore the letter using the supplied button, your edited letter will be replaced by the default version that features the latest USDA Nondiscrimination Statement. 

23.    Review and Update Your Letter Text

From the Eligibility Management module, select Letters > Letters > Letter Design. Select the letter that you need to edit and click Edit. Make any changes needed and then click Save. If you need assistance making changes, please contact mealtimesupport@harriscomputer.com.