A cheese sandwich is punishment?

[ljhmom]

In our school district if your account is negative you receive a veggie tray and milk.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

There's no way for the school to win in this situation. Hand out cheese sandwiches and folks will complain. Allow the kids to have the regular lunch, and some folks will never pay.

Many schools are required to toss extra food in the trash.

It would be interesting to see how many schools handing out cheese sandwiches are throwing away the other food at the end of the day.

First off you have to throw away the food. Now some food can be saved for "X" amount of days. But for the most part it is tossed. Part of food safety rules. Don't understand what you are getting at there. I have worked in school kitchens preparing and serving the food.

Secondly, guess how many kids buy junk food that get a cheese sandwich, yep alot of them.
And that is dicey, because if a kid is hungry, they can have a cheese sandwich. They don't want the hot lunch.

Thirdly, I have run across kids that are really hungry and it is sad. I am glad that they offer to give the kids something. The workers know who the "hungry" kids are and sometimes they will chip in their own money to feed them.

 

[Zandy595]

DS's school used to give the kids a cheese sandwich if they didn't have any money in their account, but they stopped doing that. So if he runs out of money he doesn't get to eat that day. I have no way of checking how much is in his account so it has happened before. Now when I think it might be low he takes $3 with him just in case.

The parents don't qualify for free/reduced lunches. And if they don't have the money to pay for school lunches, they surely don't have the money to pack a lunch. It's way more expensive to pack than to buy at school. There are a lot of families who are struggling out there who are above poverty level. There are no breaks for them, and it's the kids who pay the price.

Not at DS's school. A regular lunch is $2.00 and a "Super Combo Meal" is $3.00. DS doesn't like anything on the regular menu so when he buys he gets the $3 meal, which is usually just a piece of pizza and a milk. He's supposed to get salad and bread with it, but they don't provide that anymore.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Personal responsibility. I can't imagine blaming someone else for my mistakes...

 

[Cindy B]

In my kids elementary school, they will do this ONCE. After that one time, it is up to the child to figure out something or go hungry.

This happened to my daughter in 5th grade. She usually packs her lunch but left it on the counter. I was at my university (an hour away in traffic) and DH was working so no one could hand off the lunch.

She did the free lunch once and was told once was enough. She didn't get another one. Her friends shared with her and she said it was no big deal.

She learned to remember her lunch after that. She just ate a big snack when she got home from school and that was that.

My son (8th grade) occasionally forgets his lunch. I figure he's in 8th grade he should know. He just eats when he gets home.

 

[AlexTina]

I agree with having the cheese sandwich available everyday to everyone. Then they are not singled out and the school is not losing out either.

They are available. They have an alternate each day if a child doesn't want/like what's being served each day they can choose the alternate which consists of either a cheese sandwich or peanut butter pocket, milk, and a veggie.

Actually, I don't know why it isn't like it was when I was in school in the olden days. For elementary aged children, meals were a set price, the price did not vary daily. We paid for 10 days in advance. We were issued punch cards with 10 punch spots. The cards were collected daily by the cafeteria staff, punched, and then given to the teacher the next day to distribute to the kids prior to lunch time.

If we brought food from home, we simply didn't use the punch for that day, and it remained on the account. Now, given internet technology, with a set price daily, the parent could easily look up an account and see how many lunches are left on the account, no guessing about variable pricing.

Of course, the cafeteria didn't serve sugary drinks, it was milk only, and the meals were well balanced. The only "special" meals were for children with allergies, no "picky eaters preferences." The menus were set in advance, too, and printed in the newspaper (the schools today could easily send a calendar home) and if the child didn't like the offering, the option is to pack a lunch.

We didn't have variable menus until Jr. High School, and even then, it was a set price. Variable prices with all kinds of food choices were offered in High School, when the student should be responsible enough to either pack their lunch or bring cash.

The price is set it doesn't vary each day. It's $1.75 the only variable is in the high schools where the students can choose between a full meal and ala carte.

There's no way for the school to win in this situation. Hand out cheese sandwiches and folks will complain. Allow the kids to have the regular lunch, and some folks will never pay.

Many schools are required to toss extra food in the trash.

It would be interesting to see how many schools handing out cheese sandwiches are throwing away the other food at the end of the day.

I'm sure there is some tossing of food but not much. The schools around here take a count of who's buying and who brought their lunch each day when they take attendance. Then when they take the attendance cards to the office they take the lunch cards to the cafeteria so while I'm sure they make a bit more than they think they will need it's not much.

Tina

 

[disneyjunkie]

First off you have to throw away the food. Now some food can be saved for "X" amount of days. But for the most part it is tossed. Part of food safety rules. Don't understand what you are getting at there. I have worked in school kitchens preparing and serving the food.

Secondly, guess how many kids buy junk food that get a cheese sandwich, yep alot of them.
And that is dicey, because if a kid is hungry, they can have a cheese sandwich. They don't want the hot lunch.

Thirdly, I have run across kids that are really hungry and it is sad. I am glad that they offer to give the kids something. The workers know who the "hungry" kids are and sometimes they will chip in their own money to feed them.

I understand that they have to throw the food away. I just think it's crazy to throw out perfectly good food if you have students that are willing to eat it.

I'm not blaming the cafeteria workers, they don’t make the rules.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

I understand that they have to throw the food away. I just think it's crazy to throw out perfectly good food if you have students that are willing to eat it.

I'm not blaming the cafeteria workers, they don’t make the rules.

If there are no consequences, some parents would just stop paying. Word would get around, and no one would pay. Fact of life...

 

[DVC Sadie]

I just don't see why the parents are getting so riled up over their child receiving a free cheese sandwich. Good grief, what do they want the school to do, give their children the same lunch as the others who paid?

 

[luvmy3]

I agree with having the cheese sandwich available everyday to everyone. Then they are not singled out and the school is not losing out either.

I don't think all kids should have to have cheese because a select group has to. If they choose cheese fine but they deserve the other choices too, after all their parents are paying for it.

 

[Chuck S]

The price is set it doesn't vary each day. It's $1.75 the only variable is in the high schools where the students can choose between a full meal and ala carte.

Then why is there an issue? I thought people were talking about checking accounts online and being able to see what their kids "chose" to eat and what it costs. If it is $1.75 per day, they would already know what it cost, and should be able to approximate how much is left in the account, if they simply figure $2 per day/ $10 per week.

 

[Arielx2]

I don't think all kids should have to have cheese because a select group has to. If they choose cheese fine but they deserve the other choices too, after all their parents are paying for it.

How it works in our school is that the paying students can choose PB&J (or cheese in this case) IF they don't like the regular hot lunch choices. They aren't forced to take a sandwich if they don't want it.

 

[AlexTina]

Then why is there an issue? I thought people were talking about checking accounts online and being able to see what their kids "chose" to eat and what it costs. If it is $1.75 per day, they would already know what it cost, and should be able to approximate how much is left in the account, if they simply figure $2 per day/ $10 per week.

Exactly there shouldn't be an issue. You log on to the website, choose to fund a student, and fund them with your credit/debit card. You can then check on the balance anytime and add more, you can add anywhere from $10 at a time to $100 then you don't have to worry about it until you get the low balance e-mail. Easy as pie!

Tina

 

[Justanopinion]

Wow, a lot of different options out there.

DD is only in Pre K. A few weeks back, DH and I had a miscommunication. We each thought the other was sending money. DD ended up charging for a week. At the end of the second week(which she had taken her lunch) I got this nice little note. I paid, no big deal. They say the kids aren't allowed to charge but they are. There have been one or two times that I have had her charge simply because I didn't have change and they don't send change, whatever you send get put on your account.

The only time a child gets PB & J here is when going on a field trip and they didn't bring their sack lunch.

A few years back, two of my older kids were both sophmores. DS would come occasionally saying he charged for whatever reason. Okay, no big deal. I paid a little here and there throughout the year. At the end of the year, you have to be paid up to get the final report card. His total was like $15. I can handle that. But DD's....OMG!....$75! WTH! She had never told me once she charged and the school and never sent a letter. Guess who ended up paying that bill....not me! DD had to work to pay that off.

 

[pat fan]

Welcome to my nightmare.

I handle the accounts at our cafeteria and our policy used to be, if you charged 5 lunches you got a p.b. sandwich & milk (veggie if you wanted it). The sandwiches were available every day for the kids who didn't want the hot lunch, so it really was no big deal.

Well, a few years ago our lovely school committee decided this was cruel and nixed the policy. Now we have to serve kids the full meal regardless of if they have paid or not. And believe me, some are taking full advantage of the fact that there are no consequences to not paying your bill. I send home a note every Monday if a child has charged a milk or lunch, and if the bill is more than 10 lunches they get a letter from the principal. Still have families who choose not to pay....for MONTHS and we never see it....ever.

I know there is a segment that are too proud to apply for free/reduced and I wish they would apply, but it isn't them that fall so far behind. It's ones that you know full well can pay, they just have other priorities.

And yes, to the poster who asked about govt. cheese. We get it, but it is not free, just cheaper than buying it from a supplier. Don't forget to add in the cost of labor, cleaning supplies, serving supplies, electricity, gas etc....That $1.75 has to go an awful long way, which is why most school cafeterias run in the red.

 

[luvmy3]

I don't think all kids should have to have cheese because a select group has to. If they choose cheese fine but they deserve the other choices too, after all their parents are paying for it.

Thats how it works in our school to and that is probably what the pp meant. I guess I took their post to mean she thought all the students should have cheese to spare the feelings of a few.

 

[Mskanga]

Our policy is simple.....at the end of the year the student is not paid up , the report card is witheld....and it works like a charm.

 

[MushyMushy]

I'm not sure how they'd be able to not single out the cheese sandwich kids.

Put them in a separate room so they can eat their cheese sandwich and not be seen? Then when everyone's asking where Billy is, someone's likely to say "Oh, he's in the cheese sandwich room". If everyone else is eating hot lunch and Billy has a cheese sandwich but is hanging with all his friends, they'll still know he's got free lunch.

Again, there's no good answer and I think the school is oding the best it can under difficult circumstances. Maybe the parents are doing the best they can too, but I'd be feeding my kids before I'd be feeding myself, frankly.

And no, I am not referring to the mother who occasionally forgets to send lunch money or recharge the lunch debit card. That's a mistake, not a habit, and I think we are all smart enough to know the difference.

I know it's not funny, but the "Oh, he's in the cheese sandwich room" cracked me up.

In my kids' schools it's not like that at all. Kids who miss payments get PB&J (our area hasn't caught up to peanut allergies -- either we don't have any kids with them, or the school doesn't make everyone else not eat pb). I've never seen those kids get teased. I'll admit, my kids have to get PB&J fairly regularly. Sometimes it's my fault and sometimes it's theirs. I always have the money, but I'll either forget to leave it out for them or they'll forget to grab it.

If those kids were getting poked fun at, I'd hear about it!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I understand that they have to throw the food away. I just think it's crazy to throw out perfectly good food if you have students that are willing to eat it.

I'm not blaming the cafeteria workers, they don’t make the rules.

In elementary school there is a "lunch count" and you are pretty good with not having alot of food thrown out.

However the middle and high schools are different. You try to gauge how much you need and try to make it in-between shifts.

The goal is to have a correct count. Some days though all the kids want the pizza or the burger or whatever and you have more waste.

You try and guess as best you can. You get good at it however some days are better than others.

 

[MushyMushy]

Secondly, guess how many kids buy junk food that get a cheese sandwich, yep alot of them.
And that is dicey, because if a kid is hungry, they can have a cheese sandwich. They don't want the hot lunch.

They don't allow that at our schools. If the kid tries to buy junk, the cashier will just take the money. That happened to me one day! I went to eat with my daughter at the elementary school and we'd brought enough money to treat the class to an ice cream (it was cheap, like 30-50 cents maybe). I made the huge mistake of giving one girl a $5 bill and sent her up with some other kids... the cashier took that money and applied it to her bill. When I went to explain it to the cashier, she said she didn't have any way to give me the refund.

Live and learn.