School District Considers Not Giving Kids Lunch Who Owe More Than $20

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New Jersey School District In Talks To Not Serve Kids Lunch Who Owe More Than $20

A New Jersey school district is facing some heavy heat for how they’re treating the kids.

According to NBC News, The Cherry Hill School District’s Board of Education has faced backlash since August 13 when Assistant Superintendent Lynn Shugars proposed giving tuna sandwiches to students who owed more than $10 in unpaid lunch and providing no food at all for students who owe more than $20. Now, discussions are planned on whether the district should strictly enforce the policies.

Back in 2017, the district wiped out students’ lunch debt, which totaled to about $25,000, and allowed them to start with a balance of $0, according to district Superintendent Joseph N. Meloche.

However, the debt has grown in two years to about $18,000, with more than $14,000 owed by 343 students who owe more than $10.

Cherry Hill School District serves about 11,000 students across 19 schools. According to Census data, 6.2 percent of the township is considered to be in poverty while 20 percent of the students in the district are considered “economically disadvantaged,” according to New Jersey’s Department of Education.

“If we don’t adhere to our policy, we’re going to be perpetually, I feel, chasing after this problem,” Shugars explained.

When Shugars told the board that she thinks kids with debt more than $20 should not be fed, one person at the meeting pointed out that a student could accumulate that debt in a week, and questioned whether the threshold was too low.

Meanwhile, Cherry Hill Township Council President David Fleisher posted on Facebook:

“Cutting off kids’ lunches? Ridiculous. Unacceptable. Will get to the bottom of this to make sure it doesn’t happen. We are a community that’s better and smarter than this!”

Meloche explained that the district is required to send two letters to parents if their kid owes lunch money.

“The letter encourages parents to reach out to the district to discuss payment options and explains how they can sign up for the free and reduced-price lunch program,” Meloche wrote.

School principals and guidance counselors also contact families to check in if their kid owes money.

“On a case-by-case basis, delinquencies have been forgiven for families who do not qualify for free and reduced-price lunch, but who are facing hardships nonetheless,” Meloche said.

The district also sends kids in need home with book bags of food on Fridays. Meloche says the district isn’t interested in denying kids food who are unable to pay for lunch, but for those who can pay, he wants their money.

“Simply erasing the debt does not address the many families with financial means who have just chosen not to pay what is owed,” Meloche said. “The district and the Board of Education now are faced with how to proceed.”

Options for addressing the debt problem were supposed to continue on Tuesday night.