Nothing wrong with being cold-hearted. It might teach the pupils and parents an education lesson......YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR ACTIONS!
Columbia County taxpayers might have to pay for some pupils' school lunches.
School officials are considering transferring as much as $30,000 from the system's general fund to cover the debt for lunches.
"Up until this year, we were able to absorb those (debts)," Jane Wiggins, the director of School Nutrition Services, said. "We've never pulled from the general fund before."
New federal regulations prevent nutrition departments of public school systems from incurring debt.
"That leaves us with only two choices: We cover it with the general fund or we make the schools cut a check," said system Controller Pat Sullivan.
The system's School Nutrition Services, a user-supported service, operates on about $8.9 million annually, separate from the general fund.
It provides the supplies and personnel to operate lunchrooms, but individual schools collect the funds to pay back Nutrition Services.
Pupils often charge lunches. The schools must recoup those funds, but many fail to immediately do so.
"We'll have some schools collecting on those lunches well into the summer," Ms. Wiggins said. "Some principals will grab parents at open house and remind them that they still owe from last year."
Officials want to make schools and pupils more aware about what they owe.
"We desperately need a policy everybody can follow," Ms. Wiggins said.
Ms. Sullivan said a new policy likely will be formulated during the summer and passed before the school year starts in August.
A new policy might prove sticky, she said.
"You don't want to not give a child food," Ms. Sullivan said. "Without being cold-hearted, there are not a whole lot of options."
One such option, Ms. Wiggins said, might be allowing a pupil to charge a lunch as many as five times.
After that, the child would receive a sandwich and milk at cost, but principals must pay for that meal using school funds.
Except under rare circumstances, pupils in Richmond County only are allowed to charge one lunch at a time before being asked to pay off that debt, School Nutrition Director Josephine Mack said.
Any outstanding charges are collected the next school year, Ms. Mack said.
Richmond County School Nutrition is budgeted for nearly $18 million.
Phone messages with Aiken County school officials were not returned.
Reach Donnie Fetter at (706) 868-1222, ext. 115, or donnie.fetter@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
Nothing wrong with being cold-hearted. It might teach the pupils and parents an education lesson......YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR ACTIONS!
Missing one lunch won't cause a single student to starve to death. Where else can they buy lunch on credit--McDonald's? BK? How about the mini-mart? Didn't think so. This is a parent responsibility, not a child issue. Buy a couple boxes of granola bars and give them one with a glass of water. It's cheaper than a full lunch on credit and will hold them over until they get home.
Many programs, of which school meals is only one, have been introduced into the government school system. While they may well be kind hearted, what have they got to do with teaching the 3 r's? Since personal responsibility was removed from society, the cost of school has sky rocketed.
At my son's school (in Col. Co.), we were told report cards wouldn't be released in lunch fees were still owed. I don't understand why some schools are still owed money. Either they pay up or they can't enroll next year!
To agree with the article, it is very difficult to tell a child he/she may not get a lunch while the rest of the class is going through the line. Parents should take responsibility and make sure these fees are paid. Reminders are usually sent home with the children several times toward the end of the school year and if parents would check folders or ask the students, they would most likely know about it. I do know that a few schools in CC are piloting an online payment system for lunches (as well as other fees). Most likely emails could be generated through this program to remind parents to add money to the accounts. Debster, I agree with you!
" There but for the grace of GOD go I". Seem to be lost on you Compassionate Conservatives. Don't mind spending money on a Doggie or Skateboard park, but heaven forbid that you might feed a hungry child.
Columbia County needs to take a look at the many families they give FREE lunches to. Did you know you can claim a zero income (even though you get child support and have a part time job) and can afford other non-essential items but you can't pay for your kids lunch. There are a lot of people out there ABUSING the system.
True, so fix the system and not neglect the needy.
First off, I quit being a compassionate conservative when my first kid was born. I've been taking care of myself since I moved out when I was 17, and I'm teaching my kids how to take care of themselves. I take care of my kids; you take care of yours. Charity begins at home, after all, so how about you get off your lazy butt and spend some quality time with YOUR kid(s) and make their lunch the night before? How about making this a worthy lesson to kids about debt deferment? How about having the kids sit at the dead-beat table and rely on the other kids giving them something off their respective trays? How about making the parents pre-pay for meals for the year at enrollment, then give monthly refunds for meals not eaten? How about making deadbeat parents walk rounds in front of the school wearing "Debt Welcher" placards the same way shop-lifters are made to do? How about the schools get a payroll garnishment statement in the enrollment paperwork? How about publishing the names of these dead-beats in the paper? How about referring these people to federal & state programs, or child-care services for those who appear to be negligent vice lazy, self-absorbed, lousy parents.
I remember first grade, way back in 1962. There was one girl who had bread and water while the rest of us had hot lunches. Being so young, I thought it was stange but didn't think of the reason. I have no problem with a portion of my tax money going to feed kids.
With the non-nutritional lunches I have endured with my grand daughter, I don't see how so much money is being lost on what little they serve for a lunch. She often goes without rather than eat what they serve.
What difference does it make whether the "payments" come from the BOE general fund or whether each school "cuts a check?" The money comes from the taxpayer either way. They need to make the people pay in advance.
The thing is, if someone cannot afford to pay for the lunches, then they should apply for free or reduced lunch. The children have no idea who gets assistance with their food. I'm sure if someone wanted to make a donation so that a child doesn't have to pay for lunch, the schools would gladly accept it.
In my grandchildren's school, if you run out of money on your lunch ticket they give you a cheese sandwich and milk. Believe me, after that the kids bug their Mom to send money lol
That sounds like a reasonable policy that Jane Wiggins (the DIRECTOR of the program) could institute on the first day of this coming school year, JustMe.
Now you know why I buy a lot of breakfast food and pay for lunches and supply 75% of snacks. And then I see the kids that I feed come in with fancy hairdos, expensive shoes, name-brand clothes, and talk about how they went to the new movie/restaurant/shopping/Carowinds/got a new video game/got a new bike, etc. Yeah, then why can't you feed your child? Legally the school has to feed them, it is against the law to deny a child lunch for any reason.
That's a bad law.
They have to feed them but I agree give them a sandwich and milk. That's the problem people don't want or care to take care of there own because they know there are good people out there that will not let a child go without. I took care of mine I wish others would do the same!
Having been in a government school I have seen the "unfortunate" children take half of the "free" lunch and throw it away. Then they go and buy ice cream, chips and a soft drink at a cost greater than the full cost of the lunch. Of course there has never been any intent on changing that scenario, for fear of offending someone. The entitlement mentality is in the schools to stay.
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