Schools Crack Down on Parents Not Paying for Lunch

[JudynTX]

Public schools in Albuquerque, N.M., last month instituted a new way to get parents to pay for their kids' hot lunches -- call it the "cheese sandwich policy."

The policy takes aim at parents who have not paid for their children's regular lunches by serving those children an alternative meal that consists of a cheese sandwich, fruit and milk.

The school board said the policy has been effective in getting delinquent parents to pay, but many parents are outraged, saying it stigmatizes their kids.

One Albuquerque mom, who asked that her name not be used, said her daughter was upset after she was pulled aside and given the brown bag lunch.

"The lunch lady pulled her aside. And she told my little girl that 'You know, since you owe money, you have to have a cheese sandwich.' She sat there through the whole lunch period and cried," the mother said.

Program Effective

Brad Winter, CEO of the Albuquerque Public School System, said too many families who could afford it were not paying the schools for the hot meals.

"We had $140,000 in charges, and we were worried it was going to go up to $300,000," Winter told "Good Morning America."

So the school system decided on a program guaranteed to get parents' attention. After a parent accumulates a certain amount of unpaid lunches, the kids are no longer served a hot meal.

Instead, the children are given a cheese sandwich on white bread, a fruit or vegetable and a beverage, either milk or juice, Winter said.

Winter said the school is not trying to punish or separate one group of kids from another.

"I think that we do a very good job of not creating a stigma because of the sensitivity that everyone is trained for," he said. "And what we were trying to do is find how do we pay this debt out. Because we cannot carry this debt."

Albuquerque is not the only school system taking action. Similar policies are in place in Chula Vista, Calif.; Hillsborough County, Fla.; and Lynnwood, Wash.

What About Low-Income Kids?

Albuquerque community activist Nancy Pope said many kids targeted by the program are from low-income families and risk not getting enough to eat.

"They don't have the option of going home and having dinner or breakfast because there is no food at home," Pope said.

And while the hot school lunch has to meet U.S. Department of Agriculture nutritional standards, the alternative lunch does not.

"No, this alternative lunch does not," Winter conceded. "It is very close though."

Winter said the program has been remarkably effective at getting parents who can pay for the meals to clear their tabs. But some parents worry school officials may be ignoring the price the kids could be paying.

"The last thing I want is my [daughter] getting hurt," said the mother whose daughter was upset by being pulled out of the lunch line. " Especially at school, where I think they're safe."

link (http://http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Parenting/Story?id=7010343&page=1)

[Blake]

Stupid parents.

[BacktoBasics]

Like always I'm not surprised that a large group of irresponsible adults expects someone else to foot the bill to avoid the stigmas of not taking responsibility for your own actions. Truly fucking pathetic....be grateful your kids even get a meal let alone a free one.

[Blake]

....But some parents worry school officials may be ignoring the price the kids could be paying.

"The last thing I want is my [daughter] getting hurt," said the mother whose daughter was upset by being pulled out of the lunch line. " Especially at school, where I think they're safe."


stupid parents.

[JudynTX]

So how much is a school lunch these days?

[Blake]

So how much is a school lunch these days?

uh.....

I cut a $40 check every few weeks.....I think $3?

I guess if I was up for it I could look it up at the neisd website.....

naw.....I got better things to do.......utsa fans are trying to compare larry coker to mack brown so I need to go take care of that

[I Love Me Some Me]

So how much is a school lunch these days?

I think it's like .95 for breakfast and 1.75 for lunch. Not even close to expensive. I pay online for my kids and put in about $60 a month total. I even get e-mails that notify me when the account is less than $5.

It's real easy and affordable to manage and it takes a lazy ass to get to the "cheese sandwich" stage.

[TDMVPDPOY]

shit, these fucks get free meals? wtf

at my school, kids were allowed to run home and have lunch then run back to school lmao....or you can order lunch for 2 bucks......and if you have no parents at home or no money, then ur on ur own....

[SpursStalker]

"The last thing I want is my [daughter] getting hurt," said the mother whose daughter was upset by being pulled out of the lunch line. " Especially at school, where I think they're safe."



If you dont want your daughter being hurt then pay your fucking bill.

Sometimes I wonder if ignorance really is bliss ...

[mrsmaalox]

The school district my kids went to in Maryland had the same policy, didn't make any difference. People still didn't pay.

[JudynTX]

And there's nothing wrong with a cheese sandwich, just make sure it's a grilled cheese sandwich. :D

[BacktoBasics]

Why pay when you get a free meal you can bitch about.

[JoeChalupa]

I think it's like .95 for breakfast and 1.75 for lunch. Not even close to expensive. I pay online for my kids and put in about $60 a month total. I even get e-mails that notify me when the account is less than $5.

It's real easy and affordable to manage and it takes a lazy ass to get to the "cheese sandwich" stage.

+1 I pay online as well. My child has had that happen when I forgot to pay. :(

[SpursWoman]

NEISD & JISD have done PB&J, fruit & milk here for as long as my kids have been in school.

I'm supposed to get an email when their accounts get below $5, but I don't always, and they don't always tell the kids that they are low when they go through the line, either. So, unless they want PB&J .. they have to have some degree of responsiblity to tell me, too. I don't go and check their balance everyday online ... I guess that makes me a deadbeat, too. :rolleyes

Especially when they spend too much money at the snack bar line or get other extras every day even though they know that's a no-no. :bang

[mrsmaalox]

Well I don't check often and I stopped those email alerts because they annoyed the hell out of me! So it's up to the kids to know whether or not they have money in their acct. I think we've had as much as a -$7 balance and they've never been denied a regular lunch.

[I Love Me Some Me]

NEISD & JISD have done PB&J, fruit & milk here for as long as my kids have been in school.

I'm supposed to get an email when their accounts get below $5, but I don't always, and they don't always tell the kids that they are low when they go through the line, either. So, unless they want PB&J .. they have to have some degree of responsiblity to tell me, too. I don't go and check their balance everyday online ... I guess that makes me a deadbeat, too. :rolleyes

Especially when they spend too much money at the snack bar line or get other extras every day even though they know that's a no-no. :bang

Now that you mentioned it, they do PB&J at our school too, but only after you've gone NEGATIVE by $10.

Even if I forget to pay online, the lunch lady will tell my kids they need money, and send them home with a note. I guess it depends on the school, but ours makes it really hard to forget to send lunch money.

[marini martini]

Well I don't check often and I stopped those email alerts because they annoyed the hell out of me! So it's up to the kids to know whether or not they have money in their acct. I think we've had as much as a -$7 balance and they've never been denied a regular lunch.


Hahahahaha!!!!!:lmao

How many little Stone Oak Kids you think have to eat PB&G?????

[Blake]

Why pay when you get a free meal you can bitch about.

from what my wife says, they even allow the kids something like 5 real lunches in the negative on your account before they hand them the brown bag at her school.

[JoeChalupa]

Now that you mentioned it, they do PB&J at our school too, but only after you've gone NEGATIVE by $10.

Even if I forget to pay online, the lunch lady will tell my kids they need money, and send them home with a note. I guess it depends on the school, but ours makes it really hard to forget to send lunch money.

Yeah, we get notes before they start the PB&J sammiches.

[JudynTX]

:depressed I used to have to make my own damn lunch if I wanted to eat. Ding Dongs & a bolgona sandwich.

[Blake]

Hahahahaha!!!!!:lmao

How many little Stone Oak Kids you think have to eat PB&G?????

based on what my daughter says, there are apparently two or three on any given day in her kindergarten class that "get to" eat pb&j while she "has to" eat some chicken.

[Blake]

:depressed I used to have to make my own damn lunch if I wanted to eat. Ding Dongs & a bolgona sandwich.

:lol

I get shivers and bad flashbacks when I think or hear 'bologna'.

I had bologna snadwiches in elementary school just about every day.......come noon, the bologna gets nice and sweaty, making the bread all soggy.

[marini martini]

based on what my daughter says, there are apparently two or three on any given day in her kindergarten class that "get to" eat pb&j while she "has to" eat some chicken.

There's some smart little 5 year olds, right there!!!:toast

[JudynTX]

:lol

I get shivers and bad flashbacks when I think or hear 'bologna'.

I had bologna snadwiches in elementary school just about every day.......come noon, the bologna gets nice and sweaty, making the bread all soggy.

:lol Of course it didn't help when you had soggy lettuce and tomato too.

And chips in a baggie. :lmao

[SpursWoman]

Now that you mentioned it, they do PB&J at our school too, but only after you've gone NEGATIVE by $10.

Even if I forget to pay online, the lunch lady will tell my kids they need money, and send them home with a note. I guess it depends on the school, but ours makes it really hard to forget to send lunch money.


Well, my kids go to a Judson school ... they are more concerned with football stadiums there. :spin

I don't think we've ever actually gotten to the PB&J stage, but if they have it's because they didn't tell me they needed more money. And they are 12 & 13 without any known learning disabilities, and I'm not a mind reader, so if they don't tell me ... they'll be awfully hungry by the time they get home that day.

:fro

[SpursStalker]

I guess that makes me a deadbeat, too. :rolleyes



Just so you know SW ... my comment was not directed at you personally.

:D

[JoeChalupa]

I used to have "carne del diablo" sammiches when I was a kid for lunch.

[Blake]

:lol Of course it didn't help when you had soggy lettuce and tomato too.

And chips in a baggie. :lmao

pfft. you got l & t? all I got was baloney, bread, a few chips and milk money........and if my milk money account was empty at school, I got to drink water out of the fountain.

[SpursWoman]

I used to lose my lunch ticket all of the time. Usually with just a couple of days punched out. :(

[marini martini]

I used to have "carne del diablo" sammiches when I was a kid for lunch.

Devil meat?????:lmao


.........or just Spam???:p:

[I Love Me Some Me]

Well, my kids go to a Judson school ... they are more concerned with football stadiums there. :spin

I don't think we've ever actually gotten to the PB&J stage, but if they have it's because they didn't tell me they needed more money. And they are 12 & 13 without any known learning disabilities, and I'm not a mind reader, so if they don't tell me ... they'll be awfully hungry by the time they get home that day.

:fro

LOL

I spend every Tuesday and Friday at Judson running a concession stand at the soccer field, and I'll be at Rutledge stadium on saturday running one at a track meet.

[JoeChalupa]

Devil meat?????:lmao


.........or just Spam???:p:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41CMgUMunkL._SL500_AA280_PIbundle-48,TopRight,0,0_AA280_SH20_.jpg

Had the spam sammich too. :(

[JoeChalupa]

LOL

I spend every Tuesday and Friday at Judson running a concession stand at the soccer field, and I'll be at Rutledge stadium on saturday running one at a track meet.

My daughter has visited that stand. Maybe we'll see you Saturday. :lol

[sabar]

"The lunch lady pulled her aside. And she told my little girl that 'You know, since you owe money, you have to have a cheese sandwich.' She sat there through the whole lunch period and cried," the mother said.

Weak. I almost always skip lunch, these kids need some perspective on how cheap their $1.75 lunch is. Parents should give them $2 and make them buy a lunch from H-E-B, then when the kid can only afford a banana and some milk, they will be grateful.

Plus whats wrong with a cheese sandwich? When I was in NISD I would of killed for a cheese sandwich on like, sloppy joe day.

[ploto]

I think some of the districts got the peanut allergy people on them and they switched to a cheese sandwich.

[mouse]

I don't get why all school lunches aren't free, its not like the money isn't there.
After all we give out Billions every year to other countries so they can use it to buy weapons in the black market. All we need is for NASA to not send just one space craft to mars and we could feed all our school children.

Nasa scientists have lost contact with the latest unmanned spacecraft sent to Mars, the $165m Mars Polar Lander.

In September, the $125m Mars Climate Orbiter mission also failed, after an embarrassing mix-up over metric and imperial measurements.

$125m could buy a few hot meals. :tu

[ploto]

I don't get why all school lunches aren't free, its not like the money isn't there.

I think at one time there were some schools that did something similar to this, in that there was a very large percentage of the kids who qualified for free lunches, and so they got all of them on the program and collected that money and just did not bother charging the rest.

[mouse]

So let me get this straight,we can't afford to put a hot meal on jrs plate each day but we can spend $177 million per day in Iraq?



the war's cost as of Wednesday at $134.5 billion and are adding $177 million per day, which comes to $7.4 million per hour or $122,820 per minute.

What kind of fucked up country are we running here?

[mouse]

The War in Iraq Costs
$602,329,427,275
See the cost of war counter for your community:
http://www.nationalpriorities.org/costofwar_home

$4,681 per household.
$1,721 per person.
$341.4 million per day.

[balli]

But they're free from Saddam.

[Alex Jones]

Bush chose this..............


http://harryallen.info/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/return-coffins-from-iraq.jpg

over this..............

http://k43.pbase.com/g6/21/445521/2/81670262.lJnuLGno.jpg

[911]

Fuck the kids and the underpaid teachers, lets figure out a way to spend millions sprucing up the river walk! :tu

Sincerely: San Antonio mentality.

[balli]

Bush chose this..............
As did the fools/monsters who voted for him. I wonder how they sleep at night with that kind of blood on their hands.

[911]

More waste of money!


http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090224/nasa_satellite_090224/20090224?hub=World


The loss of the $280 million mission came a month after Japan launched the world's first spacecraft to track global warming emissions. The failure dealt a big blow to NASA, which had hoped to send up its own satellite to measure carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas behind human-caused global warming.

[Al Gore]

As did the fools/monsters who voted for him. I wonder how they sleep at night with that kind of blood on their hands.

I tried to warn you!

[Jekka]

Fuck the kids and the underpaid teachers, lets figure out a way to spend millions sprucing up the river walk! :tu

Sincerely: San Antonio mentality.

Yeah, it's definitely better to neglect one of the biggest tourist attractions of the city. We don't need the tourists or their money - fuck investing in the future!

[Al Gore]

Yeah, it's definitely better to neglect one of the biggest tourist attractions of the city. We don't need the tourists or their money - fuck investing in the future!

I'm sure you see that money on a daily basis, where is it?... In some city council mans pocket? Where does it go? tell us all! It sure as hell doesn't go towards school lunches.

You think those tourist ride that hot smelly bus for 8 hours just to see that nasty mud creek you call a river? They come to see the Alamo. And besides the river has been making money for years now who said it needed to be expanded. No one is against fixing your precious money maker, we just want the kids to be fed first is that to much to ask?

[Henry Cisneros]

Hey Al! you really want to piss off the Mexicans in this forum? keep talking about the river and 410. soon Buddy Holly will poke his head out of his metro hole and really lay some city smack on your ass! :lmao

[Jekka]

I'm sure you see that money on a daily basis, where is it?... In some city council mans pocket? Where does it go? tell us all! It sure as hell doesn't go towards school lunches.

You think those tourist ride that hot smelly bus for 8 hours just to see that nasty mud creek you call a river? They come to see the Alamo. And besides the river has been making money for years now who said it needed to be expanded. No one is against fixing your precious money maker, we just want the kids to be fed first is that to much to ask?

... I don't think I saw anything about kids going hungry, just that they weren't eating hot lunches. I imagine that if they were that economically disadvantaged that they would be qualifying for free lunches and this wouldn't be an issue anyways. I'm all for feeding the kids, but you can't neglect the things that bring in revenue to the city either. Sure, people come for the Alamo, but if downtown and the Riverwalk look like shit then they probably aren't going to stick around as long to spend their money. That money doesn't just go to the councilman/woman's pockets, it goes to local retailers and businesses as well. Do you not support the local economy? "tell us all!"

[Last Comic Standing]

... Sure, people come for the Alamo, but if downtown and the Riverwalk look like shit then they probably aren't going to stick around as long to spend their money.

when has it looked like shit and what does that have to do with kids not eating?


That money doesn't just go to the councilman/woman's pockets, it goes to local retailers and businesses as well. Do you not support the local economy?

My sister had a shop on the river those people are there to take advantage of tourist selling them pace picante sauce for 8.00 dollars a jar and a 2.00 dollar pinata for 20 dollars so don't try and make us feel sorry for those people BTW they have to know someone to get a shop on the river and there are more kick backs then a Houston Texans game.

Your argument for the poor people trying to earn a living off the tourist is breaking my heart how about the millions out of jobs due to Wall mart?

And what ties do you have to the downtown san antonio for you to be so passionate about it? You might as well come clean.


"tell us all!"

Oh and another thing what is the tourist tax for? Isn't that the way this city empties the pockets of the poor tourist? poor people are are getting taxed to death so they can ride on some crusty dirty ass barge in the hot sun on some polluted lake while hopefully they don't get pissed on by some kids on the bridge up ahead, just to end up paying 15 dollars for a cheesy ass Polaroid picture of the excruciating experience?

You should ashamed of yourself for supporting such actions.

[Blake]

I'm sure you see that money on a daily basis, where is it?... In some city council mans pocket? Where does it go? tell us all! It sure as hell doesn't go towards school lunches.

You think those tourist ride that hot smelly bus for 8 hours just to see that nasty mud creek you call a river? They come to see the Alamo. And besides the river has been making money for years now who said it needed to be expanded. No one is against fixing your precious money maker, we just want the kids to be fed first is that to much to ask?

They are getting fed. Cheese sandwich, fruit and milk. What do you want to feed them?

City council also has very very very little to do with determining how funds are appropriated for public schools other than helping to push some school district propositions for raising property taxes.

But there's also this to ponder:
If the river looks like crap, then tourism starts to die out and the city/county starts to lose some tax revenue, which in turn might cause some of the city/county programs to get cut, which means neighborhoods start looking like crap, which means property values start to depreciate, which means that school district funds from property get cut, which means that the cheese sandwich/fruit/milk may end up getting cut in favor of the more economical cheese cracker/one grape/water

Bottom line: not fixing up the river can ultimately lead to an even hungrier student.

Is it really this enjoyable for you to post ignorant post after ignorant post?

[SAGambler]

"The last thing I want is my [daughter] getting hurt," said the mother whose daughter was upset by being pulled out of the lunch line. " Especially at school, where I think they're safe."



Then pay your fucking bill!!! Don't expect the rest of the taxpayers to foot the bill for your daughters hot lunch.

[Blake]

when has it looked like shit and what does that have to do with kids not eating?

you're the one that said "we just want our kids fed first"


My sister had a shop on the river those people are there to take advantage of tourist selling them pace picante sauce for 8.00 dollars a jar and a 2.00 dollar pinata for 20 dollars so don't try and make us feel sorry for those people BTW they have to know someone to get a shop on the river and there are more kick backs then a Houston Texans game.

Your argument for the poor people trying to earn a living off the tourist is breaking my heart how about the millions out of jobs due to Wall mart?

huh?


And what ties do you have to the downtown san antonio for you to be so passionate about it? You might as well come clean.



Oh and another thing what is the tourist tax for? Isn't that the way this city empties the pockets of the poor tourist? poor people are are getting taxed to death so they can ride on some crusty dirty ass barge in the hot sun on some polluted lake while hopefully they don't get pissed on by some kids on the bridge up ahead, just to end up paying 15 dollars for a cheesy ass Polaroid picture of the excruciating experience?

you don't read much do you?

go back to watching your 911 conspiracy videos.

[2Blonde]

Out in boonies (SVHS) we pay the following:
CISD School Lunch Meal Prices for 2008-09 (elementary lunch $2.10,
secondary lunch $2.35, adult lunch $2.85)

In elementary that's a good price but middle & high schoolers rarely get the standard meal. They usually go through the ala-carte line. My daughter and I have this discussion at least 6 times a year...
Me: Why are you spending so much at lunch?
Her: The regular lunch line is too long so I go through the ala-carte line so I have time to eat.
Me: Well, try to make better choices, you're eating too much pizza, fries, etc... Also, take a water bottle from home and refill it. I'm tired of paying for bottled water when we have an RO system right here at home.
Her: Okay, whatever! (roll eyes)
And then she goes right back to spending 3-5$ a day!:bang

[unibrow]

Anyone else notice the hostility in Blake's postings?

[Blake]

Anyone else notice the hostility in Blake's postings?

I noticed.

He must really think mouse is a jabbering fool.

[Nbadan]

I agree with Mouse, all students should get a free lunch, but they should earn it by doing small odd jobs around the school.....

[miklo velka]

Back in the day I used to play Gauntlet or PaperBoy at the convenience store with my lunch money. After a few times of not paying the lunch lady told my mom and she whooped my ass.

[MissAllThat]

Out in boonies (SVHS) we pay the following:
CISD School Lunch Meal Prices for 2008-09 (elementary lunch $2.10,
secondary lunch $2.35, adult lunch $2.85)

In elementary that's a good price but middle & high schoolers rarely get the standard meal. They usually go through the ala-carte line. My daughter and I have this discussion at least 6 times a year...
Me: Why are you spending so much at lunch?
Her: The regular lunch line is too long so I go through the ala-carte line so I have time to eat.
Me: Well, try to make better choices, you're eating too much pizza, fries, etc... Also, take a water bottle from home and refill it. I'm tired of paying for bottled water when we have an RO system right here at home.
Her: Okay, whatever! (roll eyes)
And then she goes right back to spending 3-5$ a day!:bang

Yeah, I think lunch in my high school was something like $0.80...of course i went through the a la carte lines and ended up spending $2-3 a day instead. Then I decided I couldn't eat that nonsense either because it was so much. I ended up bringing a sandwich...which later turned into a granola bar for lunch and spending a dollar on something to drink.

[Blake]

I agree with Mouse, all students should get a free lunch, but they should earn it by doing small odd jobs around the school.....

so it really wouldn't be a free lunch.....