@ School lunch bills

[UMaineTeach]

www.npr.org/2019/07/22/744005587/dont-have-your-lunch-money-one-pennsylvania-school-district-threatening-foster-c

School sent letters to families owing $10 or more for school lunch a letter saying that was nutritional neglect and they could lose their children. Board President is all ‘bootstraps, no regrets chicken’

"I think you have to pay your bills. I mean, I've been paying my bills all my life. So has everybody else. I mean sometimes you have to do without something for yourself if you want to raise your kids and see that they're taken care of," Mazur said. ...
"I think this whole thing has just been blown out of proportion," Mazur said.

And next year the district qualifies for the universal free breakfast and lunch.

[wambam]

The article I saw earlier quoted him as doubling down and saying "Well it got their attention, didn't it?"

[WOT?*]

Jul 22, 2019 8:34:06 GMT -5 wambam said:

The article I saw earlier quoted him as doubling down and saying "Well it got their attention, didn't it?"

Yeah, screw that. So, threatening to remove children has become the new bludgeon for the government. I don't have enough rage for this behavior or this dismissiveness. I've been through the system. Threatening someone with that particular hell over a lunch bill is unacceptable.

[W.T.Faulkner]

Cut the salaries of the district officials who are moronic enough to send this fucking letter and there’s your $22k.

[calmcosmo]

This is such an empty threat and makes me so mad. As a school counselor I unfortunately have to make reports to the authorities regularly regarding students who are in dangerous situations. Families do not get separated from their kids over a damn lunch bill. This is fear mongering and these school officials know its BS.

[jeaniebueller]

i don't see how that threat is remotely enforceable. doubtful that CPS would involve themselves in unpaid lunch bills. A terrible strategy by the school.

[puppylove64]

That’s stupid. My kid has a negative lunch balance over the summer, cause he lost a check, then they wouldn’t accept a check so close to the end of the year, then between him and his teacher the cash was lost. Screw it, he will be in the red until fall when they accept checks again.

[marcyiam]

Ah yes. It's well known Foster Care is cheaper than providing a free lunch, no? :-(

/s

[isabel]

Jul 22, 2019 9:28:52 GMT -5 marcyiam said:

Ah yes. It's well known Foster Care is cheaper than providing a free lunch, no? :-(

/s

But being poor should hurt. It's not about money. It's about sticking it to anyone who isn't able to pull themselves up by their bootstraps.

[picksthemusic]

So many thoughts, so little words.

He needs to not be in the school system.

[livinitup]

I actually had a conversation with a client last month on this exact topic. Child enrolled in kindergarten, and mom completed paperwork for the free lunch program. Child accepted into the free lunch program. Except, it took three weeks for the child to get accepted into the program so the meals he received for lunch for those three weeks were not free and mom got a bill. Mom did NOT understand that those meals were not free. She kept saying to me “He gets free lunch”.

The confusion is totally understandable.

So, this cruel nut job would threaten her with nutritional neglect? With child removal from her home?

Any defense of this type of fear mongering is outrageous.

[notsocreepylurker]

The showed this on the nightly news last night (ABC news with David Muir) and the main guy actually said something to the effect of where did the money go? Did it go to cigarettes or alcohol? It reminded me of the no skittles for poor people rhetoric.

[WOT?*]

Jul 22, 2019 10:47:37 GMT -5 notsocreepylurker said:

The showed this on the nightly news last night (ABC news with David Muir) and the main guy actually said something to the effect of where did the money go? Did it go to cigarettes or alcohol? It reminded me of the no skittles for poor people rhetoric.

Rent, you asshole. Utilities. Food at home. Clothes for school. And the occasional Skittle.

[katfco]

This makes me so angry. My siblings and I got free and reduced lunch all through school and it was already shameful--having to walk to the front of the class to get that little red chip every morning, just to emphasize what we already knew. It's hard enough being poor without being shamed for it.

I work in a district that provides free breakfast and lunch for all elementary and middle school students, regardless, and I'm so glad knowing we don't have to worry about any of that.

[WOT?*]

Jul 22, 2019 11:38:38 GMT -5 katfco said:

This makes me so angry. My siblings and I got free and reduced lunch all through school and it was already shameful--having to walk to the front of the class to get that little red chip every morning, just to emphasize what we already knew. It's hard enough being poor without being shamed for it.

I work in a district that provides free breakfast and lunch for all elementary and middle school students, regardless, and I'm so glad knowing we don't have to worry about any of that.

This makes me sad. We got free/reduced as kids too. We were the poor kids because we bought lunch; anyone with money had a lunch box and a mom who cut crusts and stuff.

Our school district has online payments and student IDs for all students to key in at lunch. Every kid keys in the same way. The girls had free lunches when they were still in foster care and had first moved in with us. I put money into their accounts, not knowing this. For some reason, one account transferred and the other didn't. I didn't learn this until I got a notice that one of the accounts needed additional funds and when I went to the other I saw it still had $50 in it, the initial amount I'd put in. In our district, fortunately, everyone is on the online system and nobody is able to differentiate between regular and free/reduced at least through the lunch program. There are always other ways, but not through the lunches.

[katfco]

Jul 22, 2019 11:45:05 GMT -5 WOT?* said:

Jul 22, 2019 11:38:38 GMT -5 katfco said:

This makes me so angry. My siblings and I got free and reduced lunch all through school and it was already shameful--having to walk to the front of the class to get that little red chip every morning, just to emphasize what we already knew. It's hard enough being poor without being shamed for it.

I work in a district that provides free breakfast and lunch for all elementary and middle school students, regardless, and I'm so glad knowing we don't have to worry about any of that.

This makes me sad. We got free/reduced as kids too. We were the poor kids because we bought lunch; anyone with money had a lunch box and a mom who cut crusts and stuff.

Our school district has online payments and student IDs for all students to key in at lunch. Every kid keys in the same way. The girls had free lunches when they were still in foster care and had first moved in with us. I put money into their accounts, not knowing this. For some reason, one account transferred and the other didn't. I didn't learn this until I got a notice that one of the accounts needed additional funds and when I went to the other I saw it still had $50 in it, the initial amount I'd put in. In our district, fortunately, everyone is on the online system and nobody is able to differentiate between regular and free/reduced at least through the lunch program. There are always other ways, but not through the lunches.

that's what my kids' school has now, and it is a good equalizer, but you know, in the 80s and early 90s, it wasn't an option. I still remember exactly how it looked and felt in my hand. 

[downtoearth]

A-hole of the year goes to that school district board. I hope this makes it into one of the late night shows b/c it is asinine.

[msmerymac]

I've seen comments about this story from teachers (not teachers in this district per se) that say that a lot of time people who qualify for free and reduced lunch don't complete the paperwork. So it's highly, highly likely that most of these kids really just can't afford it.

[bronxgirl]

Jul 22, 2019 8:57:39 GMT -5 jeaniebueller said:

i don't see how that threat is remotely enforceable. doubtful that CPS would involve themselves in unpaid lunch bills. A terrible strategy by the school.

They know it's not enforceable.  It's just abject cruelty.

[WOT?*]

That is ridiculous aliciabella.

The girls are with me because the older missed 2/3 of her kindergarten year. Yes. TWO THIRDS. That's what it took for intervention. The first time. (And the younger missed more than a dozen doctor appointments, which was not good for her medical condition.) And not a single letter from the school to mom to threaten her. Just lots of phone calls to try to work with her. The schools are ridiculous for dealing with things this way. There are so many steps that can be taken ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS to work with each family as each case requires.

[livinitup]

["aliciabella" ] That’s outrageous. A total waste of court resources. And the snowball effect on a family who could not easily take the time to appear on these charges is chilling. And the fact that it incentivized parents to lie to school officials on school absence issues is disheartening.

[isabel]

Jul 22, 2019 13:29:28 GMT -5 aliciabella said:

PDQ as I will delete.

They made you appear in court for a single missed day!?!?!

[debatethis]

Jul 22, 2019 11:32:24 GMT -5 WOT?* said:

Jul 22, 2019 10:47:37 GMT -5 notsocreepylurker said:

The showed this on the nightly news last night (ABC news with David Muir) and the main guy actually said something to the effect of where did the money go? Did it go to cigarettes or alcohol? It reminded me of the no skittles for poor people rhetoric.

Rent, you asshole. Utilities. Food at home. Clothes for school. And the occasional Skittle.

It's the poorest district in PA (coal mining, rampant unemployment). So even assuming they have jobs or money is a stretch.

[One Girl In All The World]

Holy shit aliciabella that’s insane.

[AAM2012]

Jul 22, 2019 10:47:37 GMT -5 notsocreepylurker said:

The showed this on the nightly news last night (ABC news with David Muir) and the main guy actually said something to the effect of where did the money go? Did it go to cigarettes or alcohol? It reminded me of the no skittles for poor people rhetoric.

I watched this too and the number of curse words that came out of my mouth was at an all time high.

His buddy tried to be more reasonable in his response but I wasn’t paying attention at that point.

[meganew]

The CEO of La Colombe offered to pay the outstanding lunch bills, and the school board president said NO. This was never about money, it was all about power and control. This guy is sick and needs to resign yesterday- he shouldn’t be in any position to make decisions for children.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/School-Lunch-Debt-La-Colombe-513095751.html%3famp=y

[ChillyMcFreeze]

Jul 23, 2019 14:42:25 GMT -5 meganew said:

The CEO of La Colombe offered to pay the outstanding lunch bills, and the school board president said NO. This was never about money, it was all about power and control. This guy is sick and needs to resign yesterday- he shouldn’t be in any position to make decisions for children.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/School-Lunch-Debt-La-Colombe-513095751.html%3famp=y

As if I wasn't already obsessed with La Colombe. I guess I'm ordering a case of draft lattes now.

This guy is a cruel asshole.

[UMaineTeach]

Jul 23, 2019 14:42:25 GMT -5 meganew said:

The CEO of La Colombe offered to pay the outstanding lunch bills, and the school board president said NO. This was never about money, it was all about power and control. This guy is sick and needs to resign yesterday- he shouldn’t be in any position to make decisions for children.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/School-Lunch-Debt-La-Colombe-513095751.html%3famp=y

School district officials have said they planned other ways to get the lunch money, such as filing a district court complaint or placing liens on properties.

WTF. The district also seems to think it’s the best use of resources to go into legal debt to reclaim $10 based on principle. I would hope that the first person who goes to court gets someone offering pay for the best educational legal mind in the country and take this MF’s GD house.

This is 45s America. This is making it great again. People WANT this.

[aliciabella]

Jul 22, 2019 20:45:48 GMT -5 isabel said:

Jul 22, 2019 13:29:28 GMT -5 aliciabella said:

PDQ as I will delete.

They made you appear in court for a single missed day!?!?!

Yup! At the district court! I clearly have never made that mistake again so anytime she needs to be out or is late it is because she is "sick." See what being a truthful lawyer gets me

[cuadrado]

I was a school dietitian for 6 years and this is one of the many reasons I left the field to work in clinical instead. There are so many layers to this issue. I worked for 2 different school districts and in both jobs, collecting school lunch debt was a huge part of my job.

School nutrition programs are separate financial entities from the school district. It is against the law for a school nutrition programs to be in debt from lunch charges. This means that unless they collect the debt in some way then they are in violation of this law. It is an awful position to put school nutrition programs in the position where they are forced to try to collect this debt, and I wanted to just share another perspective.

My first school district had 32 schools and about $35,000 in debt and my second district only had 7 schools and had about $12,000 in debt. In the grand scheme of an operating budget, this is a huge debt to carry. For both districts, a majority of the issue was caused by people intentionally not paying for meals because they knew they could charge the meals and generally not be held accountable. These are never the types of stories featured in the news. Over 1/3 of the debt was carried at the high schools. Most students would pocket whatever lunch money their parents gave them and then charge their meals. Students would intentionally throw out letters that were sent home about the debts. The issue is that these students that are working the system are creating huge barriers for school districts to actually help and sympathetically work with parents who are struggling.

The problem with just paying off the meal debt is that it does nothing to address the root problem. The second school district I worked for created a line item in the school budget one year to pay off the debt at the end of the year - and then the next year, the debt was actually higher than the year before.

This issue needs to be addressed on the federal level with the way school lunch is administered - it's way too complicated with a huge paperwork burden, and the labor required to handle all of the mess of the NSLP is a huge waste of money. Free meals should be included as part of the school day for everyone.