Schools Deny Hot Lunches To Students Owing Money

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Posted: 2:56 PM Jan 8, 2009
Last Updated: 3:23 PM Jan 8, 2009
Reporter: Associated Press

21 comments

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Forget pizza, hamburgers and macaroni and cheese.

Dozens of students at Steamboat Springs schools are getting peanuts, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches -- or nothing -- for lunch this week after the district cut off those with unpaid balances on their school lunch accounts.

Nutritional Services director Max Huppert says students owing $6 or more were not allowed to use the district's automated payment system to buy hot lunches when they returned to school Monday. The move affected about 25 elementary students and an unknown number of middle school students.

The affected elementary school students were given snack food instead, but the others received nothing.

Huppert says about half of the nearly $10,000 owed to the district has since been paid.

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Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: Sue Location: Nebraska on Jan 12, 2009 at 10:59 AM
I caught this story on CNN. Come on people, get some perspective. They aren't denied EATING, just the hot lunch. Most kids would PREFER peanut butter and jelly (I know mine would). I do think that if a parent proves they don't have the money, the school/govt should provide, but what they're talking about is parents who are too busy to check their kid's backpacks for the note from the school. Our school even sends email reminders! Parents need to stop blaming everyone else for their irresponsibility, and that includes the schools.

Posted by: Marie Location: greeley on Jan 12, 2009 at 05:56 AM
So children of illegal aliens get free lunches and the others get peanutbutter and jelly?

Posted by: tam Location: springs on Jan 11, 2009 at 06:33 PM
Not shame on the district. Shame on the parents. That is the problem these days Lazy parents and Kids not being taken care of correctly. Every parent can find the time to either give the kids money or make sure its paid.

Posted by: Douglas Location: New Jersey on Jan 11, 2009 at 05:25 PM
I think that people have to realize that a school has to be fiscally responsible. Allowing a deficit of $10,000 related to outstanding lunch balances is ridiculous. Districts in this same situation nation wide are not denying food to those students on free/reduced lunch programs, they are not allowing those who can afford to pay to run up bills. Because it is a school everyone gets their back up. No one complains when utilities are shut off due bills not being paid. For a lunch balance to get up to $6 or more parents have had to send their son/daughter to school more than one day to create a balance of that amount. This is not a one time occurance. Rather than blaming the school for not wanting to go deeper in dept, look at the families that are not paying their bills; are not sending their children to school with lunch money when they can afford to; or are refusing to send them to school without a lunch. That is the real issue to be debated.

Posted by: Anonymous Location: Fountain, Co on Jan 10, 2009 at 06:47 PM
My son goes to school on Ft. Carson and I had paid for lunch for the whole week and on Friday he had to eat a sack lunch due to they had put his money on someone else's tab. So they were saying he owed money and as someone else said after you owe so much you get a sack lunch at his school. He did not owe money and they sure gave me the money back for that sack lunch. Got that straight really fast as I do pay for his lunch's and they put it on someone else's tab. I do not feel any child should ever be denied a lunch as they are the child and the parent should make sure they either have a lunch to take or lunch money to pay for their lunches.

Posted by: ED Location: C/S on Jan 9, 2009 at 01:57 PM
What a bunch of whiners! If your to busy to remember your kids lunches then you're to busy to make dinner. What's wrong with you people? We are so ready to blame others for any discomforts in life. Be parents and do right by your kids and be parents.

Posted by: anon Location: c/s on Jan 9, 2009 at 01:19 PM
this is what happens when greedy ski resorts rake in the bucks and hire cheap help - maybe the city of Steamboat should pick up the tab. The hired hands live in trailer parks and can barely afford to make ends meet - the math doesn't work here!

Posted by: Krystal on Jan 9, 2009 at 09:56 AM
They aren't being denied food, they at least get a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and some fruit its better then nothing, if they can't afford it then they should bring their own food or just be glad that they get something, it doesn't have to be hot lunch.

Posted by: DEONDRA Location: FT. CARSON on Jan 9, 2009 at 09:27 AM
Fort Carson schools included. I am in the military and we are very busy. We sometimes get called in at all kinds of hours and you do forget your childs lunch money. In food service you estimate how much food you have to cook. So the food is already prepared before the child gets in line. So, you tell me you rather discard the food that has already been prepared before you allow a child to eat. The are ways to contact parents if the child is in the negetive. I know they are fully aware of the parents who pays once they are informed. Now thank about this. I have had to go to the school because my child was being cheated, I feel. I noticed when she took her lunch to school, she was still being charged for the school lunch, When she decided she didn't want to eat because she didn't like what they had, they would make her take at least a fruit and they would charge her for the whole meal cost also I told my child to call me if she couldn't eat and the school would not let her call.

Posted by: michelle Location: 80907 on Jan 9, 2009 at 08:54 AM
I THINK ALL CHILDREN SHOULD HAVE A GOOD LUNCH MONEY OR NO MONEY IT IS NOT THE CHILD'S FALT THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO EAT

Posted by: julie Location: pueblo on Jan 9, 2009 at 08:39 AM
I agree with DJ! If the child is low income, then they qualify for free lunch. Those children that wont get to eat, means their parents are working their butts off to make ends meet. I am one of those parents, and with all the evening activities, i can understand how they 'forget'.....No food, and a hungry child increases the behaviors and less attention. Grades will slip... This will back-fire!! SHAME ON THE DISTRICT!

Posted by: TJ Location: CS on Jan 8, 2009 at 09:09 PM
You know who doesn't like PB&J? The thousands of kids who are deathly allergic to nuts! The "snacks" they gave these children could have put someone's life in jeopardy!

Posted by: native Location: cs on Jan 8, 2009 at 06:11 PM
It's a shame when people that get welfare, food stamps, and medicaid get free lunches. People had better get a grip and realize the less you have the more you get, the less you do the more you benefit. People don't even have to be legal to qualify. It's not the fault of these students because their parents do not qualify for free lunch and free everything. Melissa if they are not provided lunch by their parents what makes you think dinner is any better. How many parents have been reported to the state by school staff when these children are not being fed properly? Probably not a one.

Posted by: patty Location: colorado springs on Jan 8, 2009 at 05:54 PM
most (elelmentary grade) kids don't even eat half of their hot lunch any way, I see this at my child's school weekly!! and who doesn't like pb&j???

Posted by: Single Mom Location: Colorado Springs on Jan 8, 2009 at 04:49 PM
Life is hectic sometimes! My sons school is kind enough to give him a stamp on the back of his hand when he has eaten his last lunch. It's a gentle reminder to both of us that the lunch card needs to be refilled. He remembers to tell me (or I notice it) and I get the lunch card refilled post haste that evening. Pretty simple solution if you ask me! The school district shouldn't have to suffer and the kids should have full tummys so they can get on with their business of learning. :)

Posted by: NATIVE Location: COLORADO SPRINGS on Jan 8, 2009 at 04:15 PM
IT'S CALLED PARENT RESPONSIBILITY....PARENTS ARE PUTTING THEIR CHILDREN IN JEOPARDY. FORGET!! D.J.--COME ON, PARENTS ARE NOT DOING THEIR JOB. THE SCHOOL SHOULD NOT BE PRESENTED AS THE BAD GUY, NOT!

Posted by: Melissa Location: CO Springs on Jan 8, 2009 at 03:49 PM
I am sure that the low-income students were served their hot lunch as that is a Federal program. These are students who are not low-income and their parents just didn't pay their bill. Students were not forced to starve, they were given a snack to eat. This occurs all the time in all schools. Students who forget their lunch here are given a snack cup, crackers and juice. It may not fill them like a hot lunch, but it will tide them over until dinner. If parents wish their students to get a hot lunch, they need to pay for it. OR, they can make a lunch for their child. It is that simple.

Posted by: BW Location: Colorado Springs on Jan 8, 2009 at 03:47 PM
Amen DJ, I totally agree with you.

Posted by: Tim Location: Colorado Springs on Jan 8, 2009 at 03:45 PM
Let's be reasonable. It's not the school's responsibility to feed the children. It's an option they give parents if they choose to use it. 10K dollars in unpaid lunches sounds excessive. It is the parents responsibility for feeding their children (I have 4 children myself). The schools are responsible for providing safety and education. Nothing more. Good for the school for standing up and forcing parents to be accountable as parents.

Posted by: D.J. Location: Colo. Springs on Jan 8, 2009 at 03:10 PM
Did the school send notices in the mail for the parents to read? Children should NEVER be denied hot lunches.The PTA should have stepped in to help if parents can't afford. Other school districts have programs for low income students. But the parents really should have be notified by mail of the problem...and with the holidays etc...they could have forgotten. Shame on that school district. That town will never get anymore of my tourist money.

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