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High School Takes Lunch Trays From Students with Debt
In a troubling turn of events, a high school in Indiana has found itself in the spotlight for its lunch debt policy. After a student named Emily Johnson shared a photo of what her classmates received instead of a hot meal, the post quickly gained traction on social media, amassing nearly 1,000 shares. The alternative meal? Just two slices of cheese sandwiched between plain bread. Emily claims that students who owed $25 or more had their trays confiscated in front of their peers, leaving them embarrassed and humiliated. “When we were at the register, the girl ahead of us was told, ‘You owe $25.60, I have to take your tray,’” she explained to a local news outlet. “The worst part was being called out in front of everyone. If you didn’t have the funds, everyone knew it.”
Isn’t it time we put an end to this?
Why are we shaming students and denying them a proper meal because of an account that they may not even manage? It doesn’t matter if school officials think that two slices of cheese on bread can sustain a teenager through a long day; it’s simply not enough. For many children, the only warm meal they receive is at school. With nearly 350,000 children in Indiana facing food insecurity, this situation is dire.
Moreover, taking food back from students is not only embarrassing; it’s wasteful. Once food is served, it should not be returned to the kitchen. Instead, schools end up tossing perfectly good meals while offering a cheese sandwich as a substitute. This is completely backward!
Repercussions for Helping Students
There have been several instances lately of cafeteria staff being reprimanded for trying to help hungry students. It’s disheartening that a public school system, funded by taxpayer dollars, would deny children food. The existing policies need to change. Whether a parent is in need or just a bit forgetful, the student shouldn’t be punished for the lunch account being in the red.
The district recently had to cover over $50,000 in unpaid meal debts, highlighting the urgent need for more funding. Yet, Congress has cut school funding by 20% since 2011. Instead of addressing the root of the problem, we are wasting our energy on shaming students in lunch lines. If you want to learn more about these troubling issues, check out one of our other blog posts here.
Conclusion
All in all, it’s about time we reevaluate how we handle lunch debt in schools.