Thornton Academy, Preparing Students for a Changing World Since 1811, Saco Maine

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Thornton Academy
438 Main St.
Saco, Maine, 04072
(207) 282-3361

Student Debit Card
Thornton Academy, in conjunction with its food service provider, does offer a debit card for students to pay for food in the cafeteria. With the debit card, you as a parent can know that your child is eating regularly and, if you have an email address and want monthly reports, can see how the money is spent.

PAYMENT OPTIONS
Download printable form

Pay online (credit card only)

To sign up for a debit card for your child, you have two options. You may mail a check or credit card information to Thornton's Finance Office by downloading and printing this form, or you may pay using your credit card on our online form. The minimum amount for starting a debit account is $25. Please note that the debit card cannot be used with any campus vending machines.

Once Thornton receives your check or online funds, it will set up a card for your child. This can take up to two working days. After two days, your child will be able to use his or her barcoded student ID card to draw down funds from this account in the cafeteria.

You can also enroll for automatic charges to your credit card if your child's card falls to $5. Parents who choose this option will receive a 5% credit. For example, if you send in $100 and indicate that your credit card can be automatically rebilled for that amount when it falls to $5, your child's account will be credited for $105.00 for each rebilling.

If the school year ends, any remaining amounts will be rolled over to the next year for undergraduates or refunded for seniors or transferred students (minus any credits received).

If you have any questions about signing up for a debit card, please call Pat Carvelli at ext. 239 or Cathy Coffman at ext. 235.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: After receiving the monthly email listing of my child's purchases, can I limit the number of times in a day or week he or she eats certain kinds of food?

A: The system simply reports choices made by the student; it cannot restrict choice. Students who have debit cards can also simply pay cash for their purchases and buy whatever they like. In short, neither the debit card software nor cash purchases limit what a student chooses. Thornton hopes this system will help create more dialogue between parents and children about balancing their choices.

Q: Can I limit the dollar amount my child spends in any one day on the debit card?

A: Yes we can put a maximum daily limit on the card, but a student can take cash from his or her pocket and pay the difference.

Q: How long does it take to get a card set up?

A: You need to allow two full school days before your child can count on having a card or money is posted to a card. In 90% of the cases, a card and money will be available within a day. However, some students may not have a barcoded ID card if they missed the school photo day or entered TA after the school photo day. In that case, your child needs to come to the Finance Office and have a photo taken. Again, that normally happens within one full day, but there can be delays. We are a small staff. So if the two people responsible for the card system should both be out one day, that could be an issue. So please allow two days for any posting of any funds or activation of a new account just in case.

Q: What if my child loses his or her card?

A: The first time a card is lost, Thornton will issue a new one. Because the card is attached to a student's permanent ID number, when he/she uses the second card, the cashier may compare the picture with the student closely because the computer will warn that a card has been lost and the cashier will want to make sure that no one else has found your child's card and is trying to use it. It is important for your child to tell the Finance Office directly and promptly about a card loss so that a warning can be put on the cashier's screen. The second time a card is lost, there will be a $5 fee to reissue a second replacement. If your child loses three cards, we reserve the right to refund the balance and put that student back on a cash system or to charge higher fees for replacement.

Q: What are some of the food options in the high school cafeteria?

A: The high school menu is all ala carte. We try to offer a range of items and prices-from $1 items like peanut butter and jelly to a hot dog or grilled cheese sandwich-to half and whole cold sandwiches and premade salads (from $1.50 to $3.50)-to daily hot items like pasta or quesadillas or rice casseroles (ranging from $2.75 to $4.25)-to pizza slices, cheeseburgers, fried chicken sandwiches and fries (ranging from $1.50 to $3.50)

Q: What are some of the food options in the middle school cafeteria?

A: The middle school cafeteria has a limited choice of breakfast options (bagel, egg sandwiches, juice) for students who may arrive early and would like to participate in that option. We began the school year offering simply one balanced meal option at $3.75 and no ala carte. We will continue to offer that balanced meal option, but we are now offering some a la carte choices, such as sandwiches, fruit, and dessert at prices similar to the high school. You can view the breakfast and balanced meal menus for the next couple weeks by following this link.