We used to have a policy at our school where the children with no money in their accounts could borrow money ($1) for the day. However, we had such a bad record of people actually paying back the money that they discontinued it.
Now if a child has no money, the come to the office and get a package of cheese crackers and they get a carton of milk in the cafeteria. Our parent group pays for the crackers.
I know this sounds harsh, but the kids get several reminders when their accounts are low and we have many parents that just don't seem to care.
At our school and at our old school as well, the school is not responsible for providing any child with a lunch that does not have money. The cafeteria also does not provde the PBJ sandwiches.
The PTO however gives the school money ($50 to start) for the children to borroow from in the event that they forget thier lunch money. The office hands this out. When the child borrows a note is set home to the parent to that effect, and if the money is not repayed, the child can no longer borrow (our old school gave you 2 chances to repay) The child who does not repay the money will be offered a PBJ sandwich the next time they forget..or thier choice of just a peanut butter, or plain jelly sandwich.
The PTO provides the peanut butter, the jelly, and the bread. We buy the bread up front that is needed and it is frozen until it is needed.
We figure this is better than nothing since the school is not required to feed anyone. Our Principal however would provide the PBJ snce she agrees they shopuld eat, but the PTO chooses to provide this service.
Our School, not the PTO pays for the child's lunch and they get to choose whatever they want to have. The parent then gets a note sent home telling them what they owe.
The principal makes it abundantly clear that this is the school procedure. He refuses to have any child do without a decent lunch and parents know to expect a bill if they forget their kids lunch or lunch money. To the best of my knowledge they do not have any problems getting the parents to pay up as people know what to expect.
I don't understand how the district allows the a non-profit group to interfere so much with their lunch program. Does that not mess up funding? The PTO was going to pay for breakfast for 4/5 grade for one day as good faith effort incentive on CATS testing, it was not allowed. Most of our kids are on free or reduced lunch so that would have really messed up the necessary paper work that is kept daily. The lunch tallies from each day at each school have to be kept up with for Title I and other funding. For children who forget their lunch money they are allowed to charge it, notes are sent home to parents. There are few problems after a while, I am not sure what happens, the district takes care of that. Children with a negative balance in their account are not allowed to charge extras. Each school in our district makes sure that every child eats. On Tuesday-Thursday student salads are offered (I don't know why it's those days). Also sandwiches are offered daily-mostly turkey or bologna, though the new Smucker's PB sandwiches are very popular.
Our head lunch lady is so maticulious in everything she does my kids school usually has cafeteria money left from the board at the end of the year, which means that it is given to other schools that are behind on their budget.
The policy in our district appears to be, a note is sent home when lunch account funds are low. If there is not enough money in the account to pay for lunch the student must call a parent prior to lunch to inform them of the negative balance. The student then has credit for one day.Beyond that the problem is handled privately by school personal. Our PTO does not get involved.
Frankly, it would seem to me that if concerned parents or the PTA feel they must do something, then they should put pressure on the SCHOOL to shoulder the responsibility and make the cafeteria staff cooperate.
These are employees, right? Either of the school district or via contract. Whoever manages them should be the one dealing with this, not the PTA.
