Yep, a few bad apples ruined the old system. Now, if it is a habitual problem, the schools are required to turn the name over to the school social worker.
Do kids who get free lunch find themselves restricted only to veggie trays? That would seem to make the most sense.
Well, it appears, if a kid who forgets his money, but has bought many lunches before has to see his lunch get trashed and eat veggies. But someone who has never paid...eats a regular lunch? My point being, it seems a bit dumb at best (the tossing of lunches).
You also mentioned how many thousands of dollars got wasted because people sort of went deadbeat on their kid's lunch accounts. Well, how much money gets wasted on first TOSSING a good lunch, and then still feeding the kid a veggie tray (which of course also costs money). I am not saying there should be no resolution, but tossing an unpaid lunch instead of having it eaten, then giving a substitute lunch, as a "solution" most certainly sounds like about the dumbest thing I ever heard of.
No, what I said was that the policy for charging lunches was changed because of the thousands of dollars LOST (not wasted) due to parents not paying their child's charged meals. And the dumbest thing I ever heard of was when you suggested that children receiving free lunch be allowed only vegetables to eat. Again, wow. After that comment, nothing else you post has any merit as far as I am concerned.
Lost or wasted... what is the difference? Still tax money down the tubes isnt it? As for no merit, why might I ask? I thought the veggie tray was a healthy alternative to give a kid who didnt pay for his food something to eat. Explain what the problem is with giving that same meal to a kid who didnt pay for what he is eating (getting a free lunch)?
If you cannot figure out what is wrong with that statement, then no amount of explaining will help. Have a good one.
Didnt you say just because there is no meat on the tray it doesnt mean there is no meal? I can have it explained to me. Or are you trying to tell me the Veggie tray is a punitive only measure to make the kids who forget their money feel bad?
I do not have any children, but I felt the need to comment on this post. No one should blame the parents...everyone has their own situation. My concern is that my tax money should cover food for a child. My gosh, people are human...and no child should be made to throw a plate of food away....really? This is so shocking to me!
Just wanted to add....kids who get a free/reduced lunch may also get a extra snack(chips, gogurt etc.) and/or ice cream each day..for free. I didnt realize that until this year.
This X1000. Kids cannot help the circumstances they are born into. Notice I said kids. Anyone who begrudges a child a square meal because they are on the reduced/free lunch is one sorry POS in my opinion. An occasional veggie tray because the parent dropped the ball is one thing. These lunches at school might be the only decent meal some of these kids get. I can't fathom having a problem with that. I just can't. :?
Since the other person feels I begrudge anything, I feel the need to explain this. I was asking how it makes any sort of sense to take a kid's tray of food who has paid for let's say 300 lunches in a row without fail, and toss it in the trash and give him a veggie tray in place of the now trashed food. At the same time a kid who's parents may have never paid for a lunch eats a regular lunch every day. I am not calling for naught but veggies for the kids on free/reduced programs. What I am having trouble understanding is how taking a PUNITIVE action on a child who's parents pay all the time is A-OK, but it a complete horror story to give a kid who isn't paying anything veggies? The short answer is we do not want to punish/take away from a kid who has probably done nothing wrong when his parents are broke/saying they are broke/whatever, but it seems quite alright to take an action that I am certain embarrasses the kid who has a parent forget some money on an occasion. How exactly is that fair, or make a bit of sense? It is a stupid, beyond measure, policy is my point. Not that kids whose parents never pay a cent should have to eat veggies. Hopefully that clears it up.
It's been explained to you repeatedly why the policy is in place. The fact that you either can't or won't "understand" is not on the posters here. If you have a better solution, please feel free to contact the school board. I'm sure we would all appreciate another option to get dead beat parents to pay for their kids lunch.
Oh it was explained, but it doesnt change how bad a policy it is. We dont want kids who get free lunch to feel bad, but it is quite alright to make a kid who has a parent forget to send money (possibly on a first offense) to feel bad. That is a bad policy. There is of course always checking on this sort of thing at the *start* of a school day instead of when a kid has a tray of food, and then calling a parent who as mentioned can electronically add to said kid's account before the dreaded food dump. Need any more ideas above and beyond the tray dump? Those took 5 mins, I am sure I can come up with more if you give me more time.
Knock yourself out. AGAIN, please contact the school board. No one on this thread has any authority to change it, not that we don't wish it was different. :beathorse:
Hey just saying you wish it was different too is enough for me to be honest. I suspect no one can do much with the school board anywhere other than find a way to get on it, I have not seen any of them (any county) that dont pretty much do as they please. But I could be tainted since I only pay attention to JC and WC.
