Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
While some school districts engage in “shaming” – identifying students who cannot pay for breakfast or lunch, or whose food service account is in arrears – that’s not the tactic that the Hopewell Valley Regional School District is taking.
Instead, the school board has adopted a policy which states that if parents do not replenish the account and owe more than $100, the student may not participate in extracurricular activities.
The new policy – or variations of it, depending on the school district – is mandatory. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is involved in the national school lunch program, is requiring all school districts to adopt a policy that avoids publicly shaming students if their food service accounts are delinquent.
There have been published reports of school cafeteria personnel in other school districts who have taken away a student’s lunch or who have provided a cold sandwich for lack of lunch money. Some districts even stamp a child’s arm with a special stamp that indicates the child does not have money for lunch.
But the Hopewell Valley Regional School District’s new policy does not resort to such tactics.
If a student’s food service account is overdrawn by more than $50, the student will continue to receive breakfast or lunch and the account will be charged accordingly.
School district officials will contact the parents to let then know the amount of money that is owed. The bill is expected to be settled within 10 school days – either in full, or to make arrangements to pay it.
A second notice will be sent to the parents if the bill has not been paid. If it has not been settled within seven calendar days from the date of that notice, then a student’s lunch choices will be restricted.
Finally, if the parents have not responded to inquiries and/or have not made any attempts to resolve the issue and more than $100 is owed, students may not be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities – sports, programs or clubs. Additionally, parking privileges may be revoked. The student may not attend the junior or senior prom. A senior may not be allowed to attend his or her high school graduation ceremony.
