A fellow in Houston Texas paid outstanding lunchroom fees for kids

[ronandannette]

I'll admit I am one of those parents carrying a negative lunch balance!

We don't qualify for free or reduced lunches. And I'm struggling paycheck to paycheck right now. I add money to the account each and every single payday, but its never enough.

Our lunches are $2.75. How do you expect a 17 year old growing boy to make it thru the day....plus thru after school sports...on 4 processed chicken nuggets or 1 slice of frozen pizza??? These kids are gone from 7am-7pm. So he usually has to buy 2 lunches, or 1 lunch and extra fruit & sides. Multiply that times 2 kids....5 days and Im spending over $50 a week on cafeteria food.

Clarify for me please - is participating these lunch programs mandatory? I agree with a previous PP that we could brown bag a whole lot of sandwiches, home made cookies, carrot sticks, apples and juice boxes for $50.00. I know because that is my DS's lunch basically every day of his life. Schools here do not have feeding programs of any kind although some high schools have a cafeteria as a revenue generating enterprise. Parents are expected to provide for their kids.

 

[luvsJack]

Clarify for me please - is participating these lunch programs mandatory? I agree with a previous PP that we could brown bag a whole lot of sandwiches, home made cookies, carrot sticks, apples and juice boxes for $50.00. I know because that is my DS's lunch basically every day of his life. Schools here do not have feeding programs of any kind although some high schools have a cafeteria as a revenue generating enterprise. Parents are expected to provide for their kids.

Since she said she is struggling, maybe she is struggling enough to make it hard to buy enough groceries to fix the kid a lunch.

Everyone keeps saying how cheap it is to make lunches for kids. When I don't have to buy lunch fixings, my grocery bill goes down considerably.

A lot of the kids at dd's school have a balance in the cafeteria. Fortunately, they continue to make sure they have something to eat. And its the same lunch the rest of the kids get.

I do not get the logic of giving them a different lunch than the kids who don't have a balance.

 

[ohhhhhshiny]

The logic is that for the parents who have the money but are choosing not to pay, their kid will tell them they are not getting a hot lunch and it will motivate them to pay.

If their kid is still getting the same lunch as everyone else, the kid is happy, parent is happy, and there's no motivation to pay.

 

[eliza61]

When little Johnny has been told on 19 consecutive days NOT to get in line for a tray again, and he does it anyway, any shame he feels is not the school's fault.

Not to mention, anyone who'd be embarrassed by that would surely have been embarrassed enough on the previous 19 days to hear "you don't have money in your account". And if that bothered me, I'd stay out of the line. I mean, if everyone teased you about an ugly shirt, would you keep wearing it day after day?

But little Johnny is hungry Gum, If the only shirt you have is an ugly one and you don't have a choice than yeah, unfortunately you do wear it and simply pray that you aren't bullied or ridiculed.

Human nature being what it is, make us act in self defense. so if a kid get's in the lunch line day after day knowing he/she is going to be called out, how hungry do you think they have to be? most kids want to blend it so to make themselves the object of embarrassment and ridicule is desperation.

 

[ksjayhawks]

When little Johnny has been told on 19 consecutive days NOT to get in line for a tray again, and he does it anyway, any shame he feels is not the school's fault.

Not to mention, anyone who'd be embarrassed by that would surely have been embarrassed enough on the previous 19 days to hear "you don't have money in your account". And if that bothered me, I'd stay out of the line. I mean, if everyone teased you about an ugly shirt, would you keep wearing it day after day?

I agree with this. At my school students are told when they have a negative balance and that they are not to get in line for hot lunch, but can get the cold lunch instead. If they did this (got the cold lunch like they should and not get in the hot food line), they would not be "shamed" by having to throw the food away and get in line again. Many of them keep trying because they think they will get away with it this time.

Yes, a few of the kids parents struggle to pay their lunch bill, but those kids don't seem to be the ones who have trouble with getting the cold lunch. It is the "free loaders" for lack of a better term whose parents won't pay the bill until something dire is threatened, that try to circumvent the system. And these same parents/kids have fancy cell phones, new clothes, money for snacks, go to movies, etc, so it isn't a matter of not having the money, it is a matter of priorities. They seem to think their kids are owed a lunch. If you don't want to pay the money, then make a lunch and bring it from home. It can be done very economically.

 

[eliza61]

I agree with this. At my school students are told when they have a negative balance and that they are not to get in line for hot lunch, but can get the cold lunch instead. If they did this (got the cold lunch like they should and not get in the hot food line), they would not be "shamed" by having to throw the food away and get in line again. Many of them keep trying because they think they will get away with it this time.

Yes, a few of the kids parents struggle to pay their lunch bill, but those kids don't seem to be the ones who have trouble with getting the cold lunch. It is the "free loaders" for lack of a better term whose parents won't pay the bill until something dire is threatened, that try to circumvent the system. And these same parents/kids have fancy cell phones, new clothes, money for snacks, go to movies, etc, so it isn't a matter of not having the money, it is a matter of priorities. They seem to think their kids are owed a lunch. If you don't want to pay the money, then make a lunch and bring it from home. It can be done very economically.

LOL. please tell me how an 9 year old is a "free loader"?

I was wondering when we would get the "fancy" cell phone charge. all that is left is the people who know a kid who is getting a free lunch while going to Disneyworld every year.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

But little Johnny is hungry Gum, If the only shirt you have is an ugly one and you don't have a choice than yeah, unfortunately you do wear it and simply pray that you aren't bullied or ridiculed.

Human nature being what it is, make us act in self defense. so if a kid get's in the lunch line day after day knowing he/she is going to be called out, how hungry do you think they have to be? most kids want to blend it so to make themselves the object of embarrassment and ridicule is desperation.

The problem at our school is it's not the poor kids. It's just people who don't pay up. And again, they are never refused food, just the hot lunch. It always comes to a head the day the cafeteria serves something popular.

And again, at our school there is almost never a mom calling in because they just can't pay. Once the kid gets turned down and goes home to complain, the balance is always paid up in full IMMEDIATELY. They have the money, they are just too lazy to pay up until it becomes a problem for THEM.

 

[Goofyluver]

I agree with this. At my school students are told when they have a negative balance and that they are not to get in line for hot lunch, but can get the cold lunch instead. If they did this (got the cold lunch like they should and not get in the hot food line), they would not be "shamed" by having to throw the food away and get in line again. Many of them keep trying because they think they will get away with it this time.

Yes, a few of the kids parents struggle to pay their lunch bill, but those kids don't seem to be the ones who have trouble with getting the cold lunch. It is the "free loaders" for lack of a better term whose parents won't pay the bill until something dire is threatened, that try to circumvent the system. And these same parents/kids have fancy cell phones, new clothes, money for snacks, go to movies, etc, so it isn't a matter of not having the money, it is a matter of priorities. They seem to think their kids are owed a lunch. If you don't want to pay the money, then make a lunch and bring it from home. It can be done very economically.

I work for the public schools, and we have strict privacy laws which we must abide by. By law, we're not allowed to discuss a student, their education, or anything pertaining to their person. Maybe your district is different, since there seems to be a lot of information out there about the students. Is there some place where you're receiving all of this info. on the dynamics of your district's students from?

 

[Gumbo4x4]

LOL. please tell me how an 9 year old is a "free loader"?

It's not the kids, it's the parents. And PP is right. It's not the reduced price parents who are the problem at our school. When they get behind, they return calls. Probably because they are struggling and know that TRYING to pay your bill counts for something even when you can't pay.

 

[Poohforyou]

I wish I knew which school districts had kids with negative accounts. I would gladly pay their bills. All of America's kids are important and an important resource for the future of our country.

I hate to tell you but in many cases the parents are fully capable of putting funds in their kid's lunch account but just don't until they're pushed to do so.

If parents want to avoid their child being "shamed" then they need to pony up and be responsible. Put money in or apply for reduced/free lunch.

 

[rickybobby]

We just gotta believe that the world will keep producing folks like this guy who help for the kids sake. That is all he did.

 

[aristocatz]

I am thankful that to live in the county I do. We have a program called "Farm to Schools." Our children's fruits, veggies, and meats come from our local farms. Our Board of Education also posts all the nutritional values of the daily breakfasts and lunches on the website for parents to view. They even have an area where parents can view the recipes.

We have a similar program in the district I work for. Isn't it great? The majority of the kids in my district are on the free lunch program. We also offer free breakfast before school. For many of the kids in our district, these are the only meals they get.

 

[eliza61]

It's not the kids, it's the parents. And PP is right. It's not the reduced price parents who are the problem at our school. When they get behind, they return calls. Probably because they are struggling and know that TRYING to pay your bill counts for something even when you can't pay.

We hang out here a lot Gum so you probably know a little of my background. Now I volunteer in Camden NJ. pretty much the poorest major city in the country.
65% of the residents are below the federal poverty level, 89% of the children lived in household that are defined as poor and almost all receive some type of federal assistance.

So no, unfortunately there are not what I call the "dis" poor people. at our school, they are not getting fancy phones except those they get on track phone government program and while they maybe smartphones, they are whatever they can get free. they are not in "designer clothes" and in the summer when they hang out around our church, the lunch we serve is the only full meal they get ALL day.

So no, I do not know these poor people who can pay and are just too lazy or refuse to or who use their lunch money to go to Disney. I only wish that was the case.

Here's an article that Philadelphia Inquirer did on one of our sections in Philly, it won a pullitzer prize in journalism. It was written a couple of years ago, the problem has only gotten worse.

http://articles.philly.com/2010-10-10/news/24981017_1_census-data-house-districts-poorest-section

So count me in as one of the folks who would gladly pony up 50 bucks to help a kid eat.

 

[luvsJack]

The logic is that for the parents who have the money but are choosing not to pay, their kid will tell them they are not getting a hot lunch and it will motivate them to pay.

If their kid is still getting the same lunch as everyone else, the kid is happy, parent is happy, and there's no motivation to pay.

But its costing the school more money to have the cold lunch as well as the hot lunch. If the kid comes in with the money, he gets the hot lunch; if he doesn't, he gets the cold lunch. That means that both are available.

If he gets the hot lunch tray but doesn't have money, they throw it away and send him to get a cold lunch. So they just wasted a tray of food.

Its not cost effective.

 

[kacaju]

I am a lunch lady, I have taken a hot lunch away from a child and replaced it with a *cold lunch*

If I am taking a hot lunch away from a child it is only because the kid/parent had refused many many times to repay a debt in a timely manner and as a last resort...this is the method that works.... (and it is NOT A FREE OR REDUCED KID)

We bend over backwards to make sure all the kids that come through our line eat lunch....many times the kid will come up...not like what we have to offer and turn away...if we notice...we find them and try to get them to eat SOMETHING.

I have a middle school kid who comes in before lunch and tells me.. I forgot my money today...ok.. I say come in and charge lunch for today. so you tell me...How long is an acceptable amount of time for me to wait for him to pay me back?? I wait a week (in case it is a payday issue).. I then hand him a reminder letter and ask him to please repay me. He doesn't and another week goes by and all of a sudden he is back in the kitchen...I forgot my money...yes.. we will charge you.. but you still owe from 2 weeks ago.. I need the money tomorrow. He PROMISES me he will bring in money. So once again he gets a hot lunch. Another week goes by.. I hand out another reminder letter. Another week goes by and now I am mailing it home to his parents. After yet another week He comes in once again...I forgot my lunch.. we give him yet ANOTHER hot meal.. this is followed by more letters home. Now again...how long is OK to wait? because he now owes for 3 lunches and it seems to me he has no intention on paying back. So the next time he comes in with a giggle...I forgot my lunch. I tell him since he has not paid back.. he gets a cold lunch...he never shows up to get lunch that day...he has no interest in the cold lunch...just the hot lunch. So then one day I hand him another letter and as soon as I turn my back he crumbles it up. I now go to the VP and let him know what just happened...Guess what VP calls home and all of a sudden this kid now has lunch money on his account. And he has now been warned...you have no money for lunch.. you will get a cold lunch

Another kid...he is the same way.. only every time he runs out of money I am told Dad just put money on my account. If parents put money on in the AM..it does not go through until the next day. OK, I have no problem with that...but again...how long to I wait to see if the money really does go in there? Just yesterday I asked a kid (while he was in line...before he got a hot lunch) Do you have your money.. because the day before I warned him if he did not pay he had to get a cold lunch. He told me yes he had money.. He comes up to me with his hot lunch....and looks at me.. I said do you have the money...he says.. oh no my Dad put it on the account (for the 5th or 6th time) I said it has not gone through and I told you yesterday you were to get a cold lunch if you did not have the money. Well all of a sudden today...he has money in the account.

This happens over and over again...year after year...I KNOW which kids/parents are not good about this and if your kid is getting a cold lunch it is because I have tried more times then I can count to collect money.

I never ever take away a lunch from a free or reduced kid.. If your kid NEVER buys lunch but comes in and says they forgot their lunch today.. I always let them have a hot lunch...if your kid comes in and buys lunch all the time and runs out once in a while.. a hot lunch he will get.

if your kid always runs out of money and I have to chase them down and magically as soon as they get a hot lunch taken away and replaced with a cold lunch... money appears....then I know the answer is to not even let them start charging a hot lunch

I have been known to get guidance involved.. if I have a kid who is not paying back I go to guidance and let them know.. As someone else stated.. privacy laws.. I do not ask or care about the family financial issues...I bring it to the attendance of guidance and they talk to the kid or parent....so far none of these kids ever *all of a sudden* ended up with free or reduced lunch so I can only guess that is not their issue.

I will say.. it is a full time job to keep on top of the kids and not allow too much charging. My total of owed money is around $50....And it is only that low because I am on top of it daily. My total would easily be around the $400 that man paid for those lunches if I did not keep on top of it.

 

[luvsJack]

I have seen the issues first hand in the kids that forget their money or parents that refuse to give them money (and refuse to apply for free/reduced lunch). it is definitely a problem.

But, I still don't get how it is somehow saving the money owed if the kid gets a cold lunch. It cannot possibly cost much more, if any, to give the kid the hot lunch instead of the cold lunch. So, the bottom dollar is that the school is still out the cost of the lunch and the cafeteria is responsible for having two kinds of lunches available.

 

[kacaju]

We hang out here a lot Gum so you probably know a little of my background. Now I volunteer in Camden NJ. pretty much the poorest major city in the country.
65% of the residents are below the federal poverty level, 89% of the children lived in household that are defined as poor and almost all receive some type of federal assistance.

So no, unfortunately there are not what I call the "dis" poor people. at our school, they are not getting fancy phones except those they get on track phone government program and while they maybe smartphones, they are whatever they can get free. they are not in "designer clothes" and in the summer when they hang out around our church, the lunch we serve is the only full meal they get ALL day.

So no, I do not know these poor people who can pay and are just too lazy or refuse to or who use their lunch money to go to Disney. I only wish that was the case.

Here's an article that Philadelphia Inquirer did on one of our sections in Philly, it won a pullitzer prize in journalism. It was written a couple of years ago, the problem has only gotten worse.

http://articles.philly.com/2010-10-10/news/24981017_1_census-data-house-districts-poorest-section

So count me in as one of the folks who would gladly pony up 50 bucks to help a kid eat.

A lot depends on where you are...I will agree with you on the kids in Camden...I am in a much wealthier town in NJ and while yes...we do have free and reduced kids....by no means is *everyone* going with only one meal here. My college dd worked for our local Y this summer and the kids she was with asked why she was late one morning, she told them she had to wait for her father to get out of the bathroom....the kids were HORRIFIED at the thought that she shared a bathroom with her father....it seems most of them they told her had a *kids bathroom* and their parents had their own bathroom.
So yes...kids in your district I would bend over backwards for...the kids in my district....not so much..

 

[kacaju]

I have seen the issues first hand in the kids that forget their money or parents that refuse to give them money (and refuse to apply for free/reduced lunch). it is definitely a problem.

But, I still don't get how it is somehow saving the money owed if the kid gets a cold lunch. It cannot possibly cost much more, if any, to give the kid the hot lunch instead of the cold lunch. So, the bottom dollar is that the school is still out the cost of the lunch and the cafeteria is responsible for having two kinds of lunches available.

truthfully...no, you are right..it is not saving money...but if you don't stop giving the kids (and I can only speak for the kids I just talked about) the hot lunches.. you never get paid.. so in my case if school is in session for 180 days...at what point do you say enough is enough?? Say lunch costs $2.00 how long do you feel I should continue to allow a child to *charge* lunch? If the kid charges a hot lunch every day that is $360.00 by the end of the school year. If 5 kids do that it is now $1,800 Sowhere...as a lunch lady do you think we need to draw the line on kids charging and not repaying?

 

[Ruthiesmama]

i cant understand how the parents cant afford $.40 a day. :\ is budget really THAT tight? thats like $2 a week.

Growing up I was on reduced lunch and it was about $.40 a day and often times my mom couldn't afford that for me and my brother. She was a single mom with a low paying job. I can remember the days I didn't have money, occasionally a teacher would give me change, one embarrassed and shamed me for not having lunch money when I was in second grade and I still remember it. As if I had control over our situation. On the days I had no money, I was denied a hot meal and given only frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwich and water. The sandwich was just about inedible and I dreaded those days. Someone upthread mentioned the kids should just bring a sandwich from home...for me that wasn't an option, we didn't have the groceries to make a lunch. For dinner I can remember having pasta and a small can of tomato sauce mixed together and that was it as far as groceries in the house. I applaud what this man did, although it is just a band aid. I hope the parents who can afford the meals feel bad enough about someone having to step in and clear up their children's lunch accts that they don't let it happen again, and that something can be done for the others. I know the dread and shame these kids go through over lunch and its heartbreaking

 

[Disney Doll]

I'll admit I am one of those parents carrying a negative lunch balance! We don't qualify for free or reduced lunches. And I'm struggling paycheck to paycheck right now. I add money to the account each and every single payday, but its never enough. Our lunches are $2.75. How do you expect a 17 year old growing boy to make it thru the day....plus thru after school sports...on 4 processed chicken nuggets or 1 slice of frozen pizza??? These kids are gone from 7am-7pm. So he usually has to buy 2 lunches, or 1 lunch and extra fruit & sides. Multiply that times 2 kids....5 days and Im spending over $50 a week on cafeteria food.

Would it be more cost effective to buy lunch meat and bread and whatever and have him make a good hearty sandwich from home?