$8 lunch

if you can't supply a pbj, i wonder what breakfast and dinner look like

 

There are people, Bisco....there are people. When I was 19, I spent a summer working as a .youth leader at a local parks and recreation department. One of the 13-year-olds never had any food and was seriously hungry. The local school district does supply summer lunches for free to all children under 18 -- rich or poor. Just have to show up at one of the designated sites.

But, our group traveled outside the city to work on outdoor projects and we seldom made it to one of the free lunch sites. For the first couple of days, we collected from the other kids and kept him fed. I talked to my supervisor and he contacted the parents and the parents flatly said they were doing the best they could, but could not afford lunch -- and they did not like charity (strange to hear nowadays).

Before you ask, the youth program was free to join -- grants from local civic clubs paid for it -- but no free lunch.

I started bringing him a lunch each day. We talked about making some sort of "report" to authorities, but figured the way Oregon's child welfare system ran (or did not run), that would only make things about 1,000 times worse for the boy.

 

oh, i don't doubt it, i'm just not sure this story is about them.

 

You have been around long enough, soon this will morph into feeding homeless manatees. FHOP, you know.

 

Was going home actually not allowed, or simply impractical?

When I was in public school, going home was allowed, and those who lived nearby -- several had homes even abutting the schoolyards -- often did so. But for 80+% of the students, going home was simply impractical in the allotted time.

In my time and geography, we always had cafeterias serving a hot lunch for those not wanting to bring their own box lunch. Though there was no 'selection' to be had like the modern versions, simply take or leave what they slopped onto your tray.

 

not allowed until open campus started my junior year in hs. they canned that idea after students stopped coming to school.

 

according to an nbc news report, this little story took quite the twist today.

 

Italy's Supreme Court said schools should have the autonomy to decide if children are allowed to eat packed lunches on school grounds.

Packed lunches not a right in Italian schools, court rules - BBC News

 

Late to this thread.
But IMO, there's the rules....and often there is what is right.
In this case, it sounds like the lunch lady, was violating the "rules" but doing what was right. Even to the point of allowing the kid to eat, BUT warning him/her that they needed to have more money put on the card. So it sounds like the lunch lady wasn't offering free meals to everyone. Just a moment of allowing a single student a warning and credit.
If it wasn't an often repeated incident, I would certainly feel the school handled it wrong. A private discussion about extending credit IMO should of been the extent of the reaction.

To me? I'm going to always side with feeding someone, as opposed to not feeding them. With the understanding that even a school lunch program probably can't afford to blur the lines, and allow credit to some, but not to others. But in this case? 8 dollar debt? Warning the student that the bill had to be handled seemed reasonable, but allowing the student to eat lunch that day? Also seems not only kind, but also reasonable.
Maybe the school, if allowing students to pay for school lunches using a pre-paid card, needs to establish a more comprehensive and applicable policy about extending credit on those cards? If you are going to say absolutely no debt can be carried? Then I suppose that has to be the policy. But I would allow for some options. Options that put the onus for paying on the parents, send them bills if necessary. Or perhaps for the poorest students, or perhaps for students with something less than "perfect" parents? Maybe some type of quiet, non-embarrassing free lunch program could be extended. One that did not obviously create an visible difference between paying students in line, and those that need assistance.
But for me? I'm going to default to feeding the hungry. Always.
As well as NOT firing someone for allowing a student to eat, even if it is against the cash handling policies of the lunch room.

Now for my own personal anecdote.
When I was in High School, my High School was close to two fast food restaurants, easily within walking distance.
In my years in High School, I think I never had a school prepared lunch.
A huge part of this was simply "image". Which was wrong I know. But when I was kid, the cool kids, didn't eat the school food. You hung out at lunch time ANYWHERE but the lunchroom. For most that meant picking one of the two overcrowded fast food options.

My parents were NOT into giving me enough money to buy a fast food lunch everyday. Most days I did NOT have the money to afford a lunch at the fast food option. I would take the 75 cents or so, I was given and bank it. Which meant I skipped eating most days, in favor of "being cool". If I covertly saved the money, in 2 weeks or so I could afford a fast food lunch....or spend it on something else.
I didn't exactly tell my parents I was doing this, as I think they would of insisted I use the money in the lunchroom that DID offer really cheap 75 cent lunches.

What I was doing wasn't particularly right. But I can remember not only going hungry, but also the teenage propensity to want to fit in with everyone around you. At 14 years old? It was worth skipping lunch, to follow the "cool" protocol.
Which leads me to having a lot of compassion for a lunch lady that allows a student to fill a tray, sit down and eat, with all his other fellow students, even if that student's pre-paid card is $8.00 in debt.