Ah, you have lunch debt? Only jelly sammies for YOU!!

[Mai72]

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/08/us/rhode-island-lunch-money.html

Lunch shaming” is the term often used for efforts to hold schoolchildren publicly accountable for unpaid lunch bills. A 2014 report by the Department of Agriculture found that about 45 percent of school districts withheld a hot meal and instead provided a cold sandwich to such students. Cafeteria workers have thrown away food from trays of students whose accounts were overdue, or provided less desirable alternatives.

I'm sorry about not providing commentary.

I'm actually against food shaming. The blame has to be put on the parents, but OTOH nothing is free. It cost money to employ lunch workers. It cost money for supllies.

 

[sactoking]

I think the fact that the district refused to let a local business owner pay off all of the lunch debt goes to show that their motives are vile.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Another fine school district who treats the lunch program as a profit center. Gaming the system, the new American dream.

 

[brycejones]

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/08/us/rhode-island-lunch-money.html

Do you have an opinion on this?

 

[cytg111]

I dont give a rats ass, shaming is a retards tool for behavioral conditioning.
It is effective only in the same sense that warmer is better than colder(as we just had a member double down on in the climate debate) therefor you should welcome someone pissing in your face.
I have no tolerance for arrogant AND stupid.
Thank god its not in my own backyard

 

[mikeymikec]

I think the fact that the district refused to let a local business owner pay off all of the lunch debt goes to show that their motives are vile.

WTF? Link please!

 

[ch33zw1z]

Ok

“I know as parents this is our responsibility but why take it out on kids if parents are struggling,” one woman wrote on the district page.

The problem with this logic is that kids whose parents aren't paying the bill means they dont qualify for free or reduced lunch, meaning the parents aren't struggling, too proud to ask for help, or simply dont know.

Oh, and complaining about sunflower seed butter and jelly sammiches? C'mon now.....

 

[brycejones]

WTF? Link please!

https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/08/us/rhode-island-lunch-warwick-schools-trnd/index.html

 

[ch33zw1z]

yea, this is just aggravating

The announcement also hit another sore spot for the Warwick Public Schools community. After word of the jelly sandwiches got around, a West Warwick business owner revealed that she had tried to donate $4,000 to Warwick Public Schools to pay off student lunch debts. They refused.
Angelica Penta says she set up donation jars at her two area diners in March 2018 to help defray student lunch debts. People were more than willing to donate to the cause, and she has raised more than $12,000.

Makes you wonder wtf is wrong with Warwick districts. Also makes me wonder if the same people donating would support higher taxes to fund lunch for all the kids. I definitely support breakfast and lunch for the kids guaranteed, and my feels makes me wanna support the same for teachers and staff...but I'm a socialist pigdog.

 

[brycejones]

yea, this is just aggravating



Makes you wonder wtf is wrong with Warwick districts. Also makes me wonder if the same people donating would support higher taxes to fund lunch for all the kids. I definitely support breakfast and lunch for the kids guaranteed, and my feels makes me wanna support the same for teachers and staff...but I'm a socialist pigdog.

Freaking commie. If you can’t pay for your kids they should be taken away and given to Carl’s Jr.

 

[Exterous]

I can only speak from our local experience from my wife's years in an inner city school and my time volunteering and working for educational institutions buts its not as cut and dry as you would hope it would be.

Another fine school district who treats the lunch program as a profit center. Gaming the system, the new American dream.

I can't speak for this school but in economically distressed areas lunch funding is not only not a profit center but is a burden on already financially strapped schools. They attempt to recover funds or modify the lunch provided not because they are money grubbing assholes but because those losses have to be covered at the expense of other areas - most often school supplies or book replacement.

yea, this is just aggravating

Makes you wonder wtf is wrong with Warwick districts. Also makes me wonder if the same people donating would support higher taxes to fund lunch for all the kids. I definitely support breakfast and lunch for the kids guaranteed, and my feels makes me wanna support the same for teachers and staff...but I'm a socialist pigdog.

Some schools are required to treat private donations differently than other funding streams. This means they are required to distribute funds provided equally towards all students regardless of both intent and lunch debt levels. I have seen this happen in other areas like trying to give money to replace books or provide supplies for a certain class or course. It's intent is to make sure that certain students don't miss out ("marginalized" is the term frequently used) because they weren't in that class\building\had that teacher\etc etc. The downside is that it greatly hamstrings schools in situations like these. I don't know for certain this is the case here but the quote alludes to it:

that it [the district] could not disburse the funds equally. “This is a position that the school department cannot support given the school’s mission to treat all children equitably,” it said.

Around here, the way to get around these rules for some instances would be to buy the needed items and donate the items not the money. If you buy Algebra books they will go to the Math dept because they can't be used by non-math depts. Although I'm not sure how that would work for school lunches since all kids eat food and have a lunch time.

Again I don't know for sure what's going on but I've seen enough schools put in no-win scenarios by rules and laws that I wouldn't immediately jump to this being the district's fault without more information.

 

[ch33zw1z]

^^ Yes, the article stated that explicitly. Doesn't make it less aggravating. It's shameful that food is even an issue, especially considering the amount we waste in the USA.

 

[KB]

At first I was disgusted by this, but thinking about it, when I was a kid, nothing was free. No money, no food at all. In fact I ate "cold" pb & jelly sandwiches my mom packed each day and ate them happily. Sun butter and jelly would have been a fine alternative to young me.

Coming from my background, this doesn't seem like a big deal. They are still getting free food and not going hungry. If there are no repercussions for not paying your lunch debt, why would you ever pay your lunch debt? Schools are trying to raise good students who will become good citizens. Good people pay their debts.

On the shaming aspect, kids will find a way to shame each other for almost anything. Whether its clothes, shoes or now, FortNite skins, they will always try to one-up each other in status. This is almost unstoppable.

I think, for those that believe this is a true problem, the only solution is to raise taxes and give every student an equal lunch without incurring debt. That is something voters should get a chance to vote on.

 

[soulcougher73]

LOL @ this country. We are so sad.

 

[ch33zw1z]

At first I was disgusted by this, but thinking about it, when I was a kid, nothing was free. No money, no food at all. In fact I ate "cold" pb & jelly sandwiches my mom packed each day and ate them happily. Sun butter and jelly would have been a fine alternative to young me.

Coming from my background, this doesn't seem like a big deal. They are still getting free food and not going hungry. If there are no repercussions for not paying your lunch debt, why would you ever pay your lunch debt? Schools are trying to raise good students who will become good citizens. Good people pay their debts.

On the shaming aspect, kids will find a way to shame each other for almost anything. Whether its clothes, shoes or now, FortNite skins, they will always try to one-up each other in status. This is almost unstoppable.

I think, for those that believe this is a true problem, the only solution is to raise taxes and give every student an equal lunch without incurring debt. That is something voters should get a chance to vote on.

I agree with this overall. If/when this came to a vote in my town...I'd vote in favor of a higher tax and ensuring at least the children have breakfast and lunch. Nutrition is vital to educational success.

 

[brycejones]

Coming from my background, this doesn't seem like a big deal. They are still getting free food and not going hungry. If there are no repercussions for not paying your lunch debt, why would you ever pay your lunch debt? Schools are trying to raise good students who will become good citizens. Good people pay their debts.

So its the kid's fault their parents didn't pay and now they are bad people.

Lordy

 

[brycejones]

I agree with this overall. If/when this came to a vote in my town...I'd vote in favor of a higher tax and ensuring at least the children have breakfast and lunch. Nutrition is vital to educational success.

Sure vote on it, but I have a real issue with KB putting this on the kids. Elementary school age kids aren't responsible for paying any bills period. We can be much better than this.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Sure vote on it, but I have a real issue with KB putting this on the kids. Elementary school age kids aren't responsible for paying any bills period. We can be much better than this.

Yea, I agree with you as well, this shouldn't be a burden on the kids.

I agreed with his point in terms of shame being built into our society as a common motivator. Its the way it is, even though I do my darndest not to do it to my children or other people.

 

[Majes]

Since we are moving away from family responsibility in this country when do we get to the point where the government just takes all kids, feeds them, houses them, and raises them through the school system?

 

[ch33zw1z]

Since we are moving away from family responsibility in this country when do we get to the point where the government just takes all kids, feeds them, houses them, and raises them through the school system?

OMG!!! It's a slippery slope!!! Fuck those kids anyways!!!!!

You can thank the ruling class for destroying the American family, starting right after the 60's.

 

[Majes]

OMG!!! It's a slippery slope!!! Fuck those kids anyways!!!!!

You can thank the ruling class for destroying the American family, starting right after the 60's.

I'll agree with the slippery slope comment. Perhaps I took it too far. Just found it absurd that providing kids a free meal was considered shaming them.

 

[sactoking]

They weren't shaming Cersei they were providing her with free personal training as she went on a cardio walk through town.

The girls from Despicable Me weren't being shamed they were provided an imagination box. For free!

 

[SMOGZINN]

Just found it absurd that providing kids a free meal was considered shaming them.

I find it absurd that you consider actually feeding the kids they are in charge of to be charity.

We do not expect kids to feed themselves. We expect any adult in charge of kids to care for their basic well being. Food is a basic part of that well being. Feeding kids should be considered a basic function of any organization that cares for kids.

It is not that they feed the kids that is the problems, that should not even be a question, it is that they created a specific meal that uniquely identifies the kids that can't pay that is the problem. Whether they mean to or not they are punishing kids for not being able to pay for their lunch. How absurd is that? It literally sounds like a plot from a bad dystopian novel.

 

[MomentsofSanity]

At least they are being reasonable. These are some pretty big amounts owed by these parents. What choice do they have but to shame the kids in front of their peers?

"I got three letters for .05 cents owed," one parents wrote. "Finally I taped a nickel to the paper and sent it in. Really they need to chase a nickel!"

"If this policy goes into affect May 13, why did I already get a notification April 24 via email, phone, and paper letter saying this policy was already in affect when my child had a $-0.65 balance?" wrote another.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I can only speak from our local experience from my wife's years in an inner city school and my time volunteering and working for educational institutions buts its not as cut and dry as you would hope it would be.



I can't speak for this school but in economically distressed areas lunch funding is not only not a profit center but is a burden on already financially strapped schools. They attempt to recover funds or modify the lunch provided not because they are money grubbing assholes but because those losses have to be covered at the expense of other areas - most often school supplies or book replacement.



Some schools are required to treat private donations differently than other funding streams. This means they are required to distribute funds provided equally towards all students regardless of both intent and lunch debt levels. I have seen this happen in other areas like trying to give money to replace books or provide supplies for a certain class or course. It's intent is to make sure that certain students don't miss out ("marginalized" is the term frequently used) because they weren't in that class\building\had that teacher\etc etc. The downside is that it greatly hamstrings schools in situations like these. I don't know for certain this is the case here but the quote alludes to it:



Around here, the way to get around these rules for some instances would be to buy the needed items and donate the items not the money. If you buy Algebra books they will go to the Math dept because they can't be used by non-math depts. Although I'm not sure how that would work for school lunches since all kids eat food and have a lunch time.

Again I don't know for sure what's going on but I've seen enough schools put in no-win scenarios by rules and laws that I wouldn't immediately jump to this being the district's fault without more information.

The same approach to treating the food program as a profit center is used in the Tucson Unified School District, a decidedly poor district with many non paying students. It's not about school districts being between a rock and a hard place, it's about school districts going all in on bureaucracy and we'll paid administration. I know because I attempted to do a Jamie Oliver type intervention and was totally ignored and actively sabotaged by the administration. If those school districts were that concerned about budgeting for their districts they would privatize and tell the federal government, thanks but no thanks. The lunch program as it's currently administered is a dismal failure.