Warwick Public Schools announced on Facebook over the weekend that if money is owed on a paid, free or reduced lunch account, the student will be given a"sun butter and jelly sandwich" every day until the balance is paid in full or a payment plan is set up through the food service office. The Facebook post received hundreds of comments from angry parents criticizing the new policy.
In the past, students were served hot lunches, even if the had an outstanding balance, The Associated Press reported. If a student does not have funds in their account, they are permitted to charge those items to the account, and the parent or guardian is then sent two notices informing them of the debt owed. The initial policy change would have mandated that If the debt is not cleared, a student could no longer purchase a la carte items and would be given a sun butter and jelly sandwich, vegetables, fruit and milk according to the district. Those are also included on the school lunch menu daily.
So...foam tray. Condiment packets. Plastic water bottle. Plastic apple sauce cup. Aluminum lid on Apple sauce. And all this goes to the landfill every day, twice a day for lots of kids.
wouldn’t send my kid to dinner at a steak house and then tell the server they can’t afford the meal and just expect it for free.same thing as sending them to lunch and not paying or applying for the free/reduced lunch program. If you cannot afford the meal there are options.
giving kids meals & being able to constantly charge puts the schools in debt. I don’t agree with lunch shaming but food is food. Maybe a sandwich and milk will make the parents more accountable instead of running up the debt. Apply for free meals don’t charge.
That’s junk food! Hot meal is lasagna, spaghetti, meatloaf, chicken, and perhaps with meatless options for kids being raised that way
greta By looking at that meal. I think the sandwich might be better
Fantastic decision! People are struggling to put food on the table. If we live in the greatest country in the world I think we can feed our kids.
I’d rather have a sandwich any day than whatever is on this tray.
greta I think a nice sandwich would be more appetizing than that meal !
What’s with the hand gesture
They’d be better off with the 🥪
Gee from the look of that crappy meal, I’d rather have a peanut butter & Jelly sandwich. It served me well as a kid.
greta Thanks for coming to your senses, school, and not punishing children. 'Bless the beasts and the children...for in this world they have no voice...they have no choice.'
After seeing this, can we go back to the cold lunch?🤭
A minor child should in no way, shape, or form be punished for their parents inability to pay a debt. Does Visa call your kid when you're late? No. Lunch debt belongs to the parents.
UhmAwakeRU. Here’s a story to calibrate you on “my argument”. (Admittedly, I don’t know where the folks who thought of cold-lunch-only punishment...err...policy stand on abortion, but I’m going to guess some are pro-life.) ridiculous that cold v hot lunch was even a thing...
They only reversed it cause the story caught fire....not cause it was the right thing to do
A sandwich is probably better than the fried crap on that plate!
greta What’s wrong with grilled cheese sandwiches? They’re better than a plain cheese sandwich with nothing else. I thought the high school had better food than grammar school, I liked their deli sandwiches. Side note, trump spoke at my old high school when they were campaigning.
The fundamental question,does it bother your conscience? I wouldn’t do that, kids no matter where have a right to proper meal. Yes politics and great nonsens play a pivotal role in school lunches because of government funding, however, subsidies on food prices go a long way.
This doesn’t look very appetizing at all...🤮
We don't have school cooks making lunches anymore...Shepherds pie, chicken and noodles, real mashed potatoes, soups, etc. Used to cost 75 cents.
They are lucky..hot lunches come from bags heated and dumped in a server. My son - 17 - packs his lunch at his choice. Seen many kids choose a PBJ in line over the hot slop.
Here's an idea....quit having children you can't afford! Problem solved.
That entire meal is full of sugar and fat, who cares...that sandwich is so much healthier !
By the way, sandwiches are usually served COLD. Stop over emphasizing the 'served cold sandwiches' like it's a bad thing.
My God, how many preservatives are in this “healthy lunch”?
greta These kids are not being stigmatized because they are poor. The kids who get reduced or free meals never have a delinquent account. The financially able parents (school system verified, btw) need to pay for their kids lunch. You know, like they actually care about them.
greta 'a student could no longer purchase a la carte items and would be given a sun butter and jelly sandwich, vegetables, fruit and milk according to the district. ' Not regular meals-a la carte items for those that don't like the free stuff
PB &J would be more healthy than pressed and fried chicken parts.
greta The notion that we would consider punishing children because rheir parents can’t afford the (quite frankly low quality) meals in schools sickens me.
greta A cold sandwich ! The horror! I must’ve been a terrible mother- my kids brought a bagged lunch with a cold sandwich every day.
greta Headline says 'cold sandwinches,' I read 'Free Lunch.'
greta This is not new and there is nothing wrong with a sandwich, right ScottWalker ?
They some cold SOB, sad but we will give to those that don’t need and look down on those without!
greta But we’ll pay for illegals to eat... not our own
greta What’s wrong with a sandwich? My mom made me sandwiches for school lunch most of the time. I did the same for my kids. SB&J with veggies, fruit and milk sounds like a fine lunch to me. Just another mountain out of a molehill. The kids were fed!! Geeze!!!!
Look at the amt of real and fake sugar + carbs! Fuck, bet there is a soda machine rgt in the cafeteria
greta From the looks at that photo a cold sandwich just may be doing them a healthy favor :/
greta If that is the hot meal I’d rather eat the peanut butter and jelly sandwich
greta Ummm... the pb& j looked better
No child should have to pay for school lunch as rich as this country is!!
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Have they spoken to parents to determine nature of failure to pay. Does the school have a fund set up and supported by donations to ensure each child get a hot meal? Why embarrass a child who has no control over such a situation? Now this child will be mocked by other students.
The alternative cold lunch is common practice at schools across the country. This Rhode Island school is no exception.
greta What kind of lunch is that? With the taxes we pay on our homes, you sure as Hell can come up with a wholesome meal with my tax money. You fat cats are taking too much as a salary and not feeding these children decent healthy meals. Administrators, are paid way too much money.
Damn good thing you stepped up! Now don’t attempt to do this garbage to kids anymore.
This is shaming children who don’t have a choice! Shame on the school!!! KUDOS to the adults who stood up !!
that's a meal?
rolandsmartin It's like saying we will punish you in any whichbwqs we can...
rolandsmartin Stuff like this just proves that this country needs to be destroyed! And hopefully God sees that too!
ReignOfApril If you think that the cold sandwich is the issue,then you have more than missed the point. Kids deserve a hot lunch, and shouldn’t be shamed. In some school districts, hot lunch might be the only thing kids eat all day. Especially if they have to share with other siblings at home
The fact that they didn’t see the criticism and bad PR this would create makes you wonder if they’re capable of running the school district at all.
Awfully big of you , what’s next child labor .
Sick of these ppl... An evil plan is always great until ppl find out about it, then the evil geniuses decide to change the plan like it wasn’t such a big deal...... FIRE SOME PPL IN CHARGE NOW!
ReignOfApril Okay, but what is this? Is this the actual school lunch. Just add some peanut or almond butter to the jelly sandwich then throw an apple/sliced veggies and some milk on the try. That’s a lunch.
If you owe money then you don't get the normal meal, really you shouldn't be getting anything at all. $77k in debt is no joke. Even if that debt is paid the district will continue to see more debt until they stop letting students buy a bunch of food without paying.
This is considered a healthy lunch in Australia..lunches are made at home not bought from a cafeteria..if a child took that American lunch to school the parents would receive a note from the school telling them this is not suitable food and to give the child healthier choices
Social justice has been served
I grew up in the 80’s and it was common for a kid to get a pb&j sandwich or a cold cheese sandwich if they didn’t have money in the acct or forgot their lunch. There was free and reduced lunch then too but there were some kids who frequently got the sandwiches.
I read an update that Chobani yogurt CEO was buying the lunch debt so all kids can eat! Go buy some Chobani!
sandwiches are like the ideal thing to have for lunch...only a fool turns down a free sandwich
Of course they did. The story hit social media and they folded their tent. We need to start planting more money trees.
They use to give us that nasty ass peanut butter and jelly sandwich 🥪
The President of the USA is gaining 20 pounds every year and eating like a food maniac and looks like an upright hippo but the poor kids have to have cold sandwiches. Maga
ReignOfApril standupfightback
It's damn lunch....if they are worried about a stigma etc... Then go back to uniforms so kids arent stigmatized with what kind of clothes or sneakers they have. If kids are at home, many times Kids have PB&J at home for lunch.
Hot lunch, Cold lunch? If the child is getting fed, 'WHAT IS THE PROBLEM!?' - I was poor at school, they handed me a PB&J Sandwich and Carton of milk with Carrot Sticks - BECAUSE I WAS ON LOW REDUCED LUNCH. that's what it is. 'I make my Son the same meal for school, he's kool'.
rolandsmartin That was a no brainer.
Great news! Some people can still be shamed
rolandsmartin Always have to get shame to do the right thing.
You know, I would rather have the sandwich. That’s a revolting “meal”.
Chobani yogurt paid off all the debt! Now let's get better school food for every student. That 'sandwich only' business was shameful, and I'm glad it was abolished, but that hot meal looks like shit. The school lunches in Europe and Japan are nothing like ours.
The sandwich was probably a better choice than chicken nuggets and pizza
It’s a shame 👎
What an embarrassing situation ... I grew up there and it amazes me how far the school system has fallen.... and not just this particular scenario
billions starve in africa while american kids complain about fully nutritious sandwiches LOOOOOOOOL someone should let these spoiled kids starve for a week.
i honestly thought getting a basic sandwich was normal? they did that in my schools... is this not normal...?
Ya think?...
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