School throws out kids' lunches over owed money

[adrynalyne]

Since the parents knew this bill was expected I think they should be on blast. Why would a parent subject their child to this? Knowing full well that the kid had to eat before sending them off to school?

 

My wife is from Canada and went to a private Christian school. They weren't given money for school lunch, but my mother-in-law packed them a lunch every day. It is the parents that are at fault here not the school.

I agree.  The child is a victim here, not the responsible party.

[M_Lyons10]

There has to be a limit.  I would never take food away from a kid.  But if parents refuse to pay their bill after they are notified, then schools lose money and it takes away from the other kids.  That is just the harsh reality.

 

Said it before, school system in the US sucks and schools need to be better funded so things like this dont happen.

I really don't think it's a funding issue.  Schools do get a lot of funding.  The problem in my opinion is two fold:

 

1. Once they get Tenure, it is essentially impossible to get rid of a bad teacher.  Even one that clearly doesn't want to be there will stay for the paycheck.  This does not serve the students.

 

2. Funding that the schools do get often are used for things that, though great, don't further a student's education.  My high school for instance didn't have money for books or art supplies, but had money for an outrageous sports complex that they added to each year.  They even had a "practice" baceball field.  Because you can't practice on the actual field or anything...

 

This is a bit off topic, but the problem with the education system in this country is not a funding issue, it's a committment issue.

[+LogicalApex MVC]

My issue isn't really with the school not feeding the kids. My issue is with the sheer waste of throwing the lunches away.  That's just completely disgusting and unacceptable.

 

Better to feed the damned kids than to just throw food away.

 

And we wonder why people are staving to death? Sheesh...

This is the way it is done all over society...

 

If I go into Wawa and order a hoagie in the touch screen kiosk (which they start making immediately) and I get to check out and can't pay for it. Do you expect they say "hey man that is cool. Here is Here is the hoagie anyway"? No, they throw it out. Why? Because if they didn't eventually you'll have people using that "excuse" to always get free hoagies at the expense of everyone else.

 

The parents should have either paid for the lunches or sent their kids to school with a lunch. Since they weren't in the free school lunch program I will make the assumption they had a decent enough income to afford the meal.

[adrynalyne]

I really don't think it's a funding issue.  Schools do get a lot of funding.  The problem in my opinion is two fold:

 

1. Once they get Tenure, it is essentially impossible to get rid of a bad teacher.  Even one that clearly doesn't want to be there will stay for the paycheck.  This does not serve the students.

 

2. Funding that the schools do get often are used for things that, though great, don't further a student's education.  My high school for instance didn't have money for books or art supplies, but had money for an outrageous sports complex that they added to each year.  They even had a "practice" baceball field.  Because you can't practice on the actual field or anything...

 

This is a bit off topic, but the problem with the education system in this country is not a funding issue, it's a committment issue.

Funding might be an issue.  We have hit some rough times with my daughter's school, although it has improved.  We as parents have had to help fund school supplies and extra programs such as band/orchestra due to district-wide cutbacks.

[techbeck]

I really don't think it's a funding issue.  Schools do get a lot of funding.  The problem in my opinion is two fold:

 

1. Once they get Tenure, it is essentially impossible to get rid of a bad teacher.  Even one that clearly doesn't want to be there will stay for the paycheck.  This does not serve the students.

 

2. Funding that the schools do get often are used for things that, though great, don't further a student's education.  My high school for instance didn't have money for books or art supplies, but had money for an outrageous sports complex that they added to each year.  They even had a "practice" baceball field.  Because you can't practice on the actual field or anything...

 

This is a bit off topic, but the problem with the education system in this country is not a funding issue, it's a committment issue.

 

Many schools do not have updated text books and equipment in their  classrooms.  Many schools also do not have adequate athletic supplies either.   It is hard to give a kid a good education when you are dealing with old outdated text books.  There are bad teachers out there, but many can be perceived bad because of what they have to teach the kids.  When the US economy started to go south, school funding was one of the first things states cut funding for.

[adrynalyne]

This is the way it is done all over society...

 

If I go into Wawa and order a hoagie in the touch screen kiosk (which they start making immediately) and I get to check out and can't pay for it. Do you expect they say "hey man that is cool. Here is Here is the hoagie anyway"? No, they throw it out. Why? Because if they didn't eventually you'll have people using that "excuse" to always get free hoagies at the expense of everyone else.

 

The parents should have either paid for the lunches or sent their kids to school with a lunch. Since they weren't in the free school lunch program I will make the assumption they had a decent enough income to afford the meal.

The article implied (to me anyway) that they were given the lunch and then later had it taken away.  That is a bit different than not being allowed to leave the register with it in the first place.

[DocM]

Taking on a few points from above.

1) my point about schools not being responsible for lunches, and refusing access to lubch for non-payers, came right from National Education Assocoation (teachers union) guidelines. Wife's an educator.

2) unserved lunches have to be disposed of anyhow. Doesn't matter if they're taken away at the register or left over because they were denied at the start of the line. The school gets X number of lunches and leftovers get trashed. In most cases it's a spoilage risk reduction.

3) the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is paid for by the Federal govt so individual school & district funding isn't a factor.

[adrynalyne]

Taking on a few points from above.

1) my point about schools not being responsible for lunches, and refusing access to lubch for non-payers, came right from National Education Assocoation (teachers union) guidelines. Wife's an educator.

2) unserved lunches have to be disposed of anyhow. Doesn't matter if they're taken away at the register or left over because they were denied at the start of the line. The school gets X number of lunches and leftovers get trashed.

3) the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is paid for by the Federal govt so individual school & district funding isn't a factor.

Yet...the feds are the ones that cut district funding in the first place?

[M_Lyons10]

Many schools do not have updated text books and equipment in their  classrooms.  Many schools also do not have adequate athletic supplies either.   It is hard to give a kid a good education when you are dealing with old outdated text books.  There are bad teachers out there, but many can be perceived bad because of what they have to teach the kids.  When the US economy started to go south, school funding was one of the first things states cut funding for.

Education was sub par and unacceptable long before the economy started going south.

 

While I agree that cuts were made, the quality of our education system is not a result of that.  It's been bad for a loooooong time.

 

In the course of my schooling, I moved around a good bit.  So I saw a few different schools.  I did see schools that were good and provided an education.  However, From 8th grade to 12th, I was at one school, and during that time, I had a single class that I ever learned anything in.  Quite a few teachers didn't even attend class themselves.

 

Over the last several decades, schools have gotten more and more funding, as we try to fix our education system.  This has resulted in the kids learning less, and being encouraged to think for themselves less.  The failure of the education system is a result of a system that protects teachers at the expense of students.  While I support teachers and think that what they do is incredibly important, I think good teachers should be rewarded and bad teachers should be let go.  The purpose of our education system is to help students learn and become productive members of society, not to protect teachers that are not engaged.

 

I would also add that the curiculum should stress skills that you'll need outside of school as well (Which it does not).  Most people out of highschool that I meet don't know how to balance a check book...  But this is not about funding either, it's about all the red tape involved in changing the accepted curriculum.

[DocM]

Yet...the feds are the ones that cut district funding in the first place?

Federal K-12 school funding is very targeted, the vast majority of it going towards the school lunch and reading programs. Federal cuts, if any, are single digit percentages and a pinprick compared to the total spent by the states and local districts which have the primary responsibilty.

Many of the non K-12 cuts were to Head Start, which numerous studies show DOES NOT WORK, and other programs of questionable utility like No Child Left Behind.

[Hum]

All public schools should just get out of the Food business.

 

Give the kids a place to eat and time, and let the parents worry about what the kids eat.

 

We have WIC and SNAP programs, so there is no excuse for bureaucrats to be involved.

[DocM]

Yeah, but there are members of both parties that want to expand the program to include breakfast and dinner too.

[link6155]

At least they gave them a fruit and some milk. When I was a kid, I remember a few times where I was in dept by a few cents a few times. Instead of giving me something to eat, they just took my food and said that I need to bring money next time :|

[jwjw1]

Give the kids a place to eat and time, and let the parents worry about what the kids eat.

 

 

What!....you actually want to make some parents be responsible? :woot:

[Hum]

Another school throws away lunch of 10-year-old autistic boy

 

 

A New Jersey mother says her fifth grade son?s school has repeatedly taken her child?s lunch and thrown it away over unpaid cafeteria balances -- despite having apologized for doing as much in the past.

 

?This to me is a form of bullying," Amy Ross told NBC 10 after the latest incident, earlier in January, involving her 10-year-old son, Jake, who has a form of autism called Asperger?s Syndrome, and officials at Smithville Elementary School in Galloway Township, N.J.  ?It?s between the parents and the cafeteria. It?s not between the child and the lunch lady. Let the kids eat their lunch."

 

more

[timster]

 

Another school throws away lunch of 10-year-old autistic boy

 

 

A New Jersey mother says her fifth grade son?s school has repeatedly taken her child?s lunch and thrown it away over unpaid cafeteria balances -- despite having apologized for doing as much in the past.

 

?This to me is a form of bullying," Amy Ross told NBC 10 after the latest incident, earlier in January, involving her 10-year-old son, Jake, who has a form of autism called Asperger?s Syndrome, and officials at Smithville Elementary School in Galloway Township, N.J.  ?It?s between the parents and the cafeteria. It?s not between the child and the lunch lady. Let the kids eat their lunch."

 

more

 

 

Having something taken away over unpaid bills is hardly bullying.

[adrynalyne]

having something taken away over unpaid bills is hardly bullying.

It really is if the tray ever leaves the counter.  They should know beforehand, so if they aren't taking care of it immediately, it is a malicious act to be a total ass.

[+Raze Subscriber²]

 

Another school throws away lunch of 10-year-old autistic boy

 

 

A New Jersey mother says her fifth grade son?s school has repeatedly taken her child?s lunch and thrown it away over unpaid cafeteria balances -- despite having apologized for doing as much in the past.

 

?This to me is a form of bullying," Amy Ross told NBC 10 after the latest incident, earlier in January, involving her 10-year-old son, Jake, who has a form of autism called Asperger?s Syndrome, and officials at Smithville Elementary School in Galloway Township, N.J.  ?It?s between the parents and the cafeteria. It?s not between the child and the lunch lady. Let the kids eat their lunch."

 

more

 

 

Then this mother repeatedly failed at making sure her child's lunch account is paid, period, her fault and her's alone.  She even tried to blame her child by claiming he lost notes, messages, etc.    You know there is a bill to pay, so pay it every week, month whenever it is due, lazy blankety blank.....    :/

[Hurmoth]

Completely, and utterly unacceptable. They didn't save any money by throwing the food away, so why not let the child have it? WHAT ARE LOCAL TAXES FOR? Never let a child go hungry, I don't care what their financial status is.

 

This makes me so angry. Grr! I pay local taxes and don't even have a child, so you better believe I'd be raising hell with my local school district if I found out they had done a student in my district this way.