School lunch programs

[zap]

I pay for mine to eat lunch at school $ 2.00 a day, I remember in 4 th grade if I wanted to buy lunch it was .45 cents.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41631002/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition


At the turn of the new year, the Lee County, Fla., public schools were losing about $2,000 a week on school lunches. Then came the cheese sandwiches.
When classes resumed Jan. 3 after the winter break, the district — the 40th-largest in the United States, with about 80,000 pupils — had a problem. Up to 1,100 pupils weren't paying for their meals, school officials say.
An msnbc.com-NBC News special report
Alex Johnson is a reporter for msnbc.com. The following NBC stations contributed to this report: KTSM of El Paso, Texas; WBBH of Fort Myers, Fla.; WGRZ of Buffalo, N.Y.; WNYT of Albany, N.Y.; WTOV of Steubenville, Ohio; and WVTM of Birmingham, Ala.

Because the National School Lunch Program, or NSLP, requires participating schools to provide nourishing meals for all pupils, what do school administrators do if a pupil shows up in the lunchroom with no cash and with no money left in his or her electronic meal account?
Most raise their prices for kids who can pay, according to research by the nonprofit School Nutrition Association, which found that nearly 60 percent of public school districts raised lunch prices in 2009, the last full year for which national figures were available.
The Agriculture Department — which administers the NSLP — says roughly two-thirds of the 5 billion meals served under the program each year are free or are sold at a reduced price. That means you can't keep raising meal prices indefinitely, because the burden is disproportionally borne by the pupils who buy the one-third of meals sold at full price.
Solving that conundrum is especially urgent now because new federal school nutrition regulations in the works could soon require schools to serve more — and more expensive — fresh produce, lean meats and whole grains.
'We can help you'
School administrators are eager to make it clear that the last thing they want to do is to embarrass children or make them go hungry. In January, the Lee County, Fla., Public Schools sent this notice home to parents:

All lunch money must be paid at the time of purchase. The School District of Lee County's Nutrition Department is federally funded and not authorized to extend credit for meals. Therefore, if your child does not have lunch money, he/she will be given one warning to pay the following day. On the second day, if money is not paid, your child will receive an "alternate" meal. The "alternate" meal consists of a cheese sandwich and juice. The idea that seems to work best for most of our parents is to send a check in to pre-pay as far in advance as you can. Any money left over in a lunch account is available the next school year and can even be used at a new school if you should move. Please make sure your child has lunch money or brings lunch from home.

IF YOU ARE HAVING FINANCIAL DIFFICULTY, WE CAN HELP YOU! Fill out a family application at school OR go online at [the district's Web site]. One application will cover all of your children attending a Lee County Public School.

Once again, please be aware that we will not offer a regular meal to students who have not paid or have not qualified for "free" lunch. We do not want to embarrass any child, so please make sure you keep accounts up to date.

Here's the option they hit upon in Lee County, one that's similar to steps being taken in an increasing number of schools across the country: Kids who can't pay get one free hot lunch. After that, they get a bare-bones "alternate meal." In Lee County, it's a cheese sandwich and a 4-ounce juice box. Take it or leave it.



It's not as coldhearted as it might sound at first.
Eligibility for the subsidized lunch program is based on family income. Since the economy went into recession, millions of families have fallen below the government poverty line for the first time. But many of them apparently have no idea they're eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches.
Moreover, there's a significant "stigma associated with participation" in some communities, especially among older teenagers, the Agriculture Department's Economic Research Service found in a 2008 report.

[k-os]

I really don't understand this. I didn't have money to buy school lunch, and often didn't bring one. It never occurred to me to demand one, or even ask for one for free. Were they giving out free lunches in the 80's and I didn't know about it? I would have loved to have had the alternative free lunch - a grilled cheese and juice box. ;D

[mick silver]

most that are getting free lunchs are on food stamps why are there moms and dads not making them a lunch to take to school . at times my mom an dad didnt have the money for us to eat at school so we had brown bag lunchs . i just dont understand why family on welfare an food stamps are not able to make a brown bag lunch for there kids . all the jobs i have had i took my lunch

[Hillbilly]

Back when I was in school. It was Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich and Milk. I knew lots of poor kids that ate that just about everyday. Considering the low quality shit they served the paying kids and can't say they saved much money vs the PBJ.

[dys]

Around here schools provide free BREAKFAST to students up to a certain age. And we wonder why education spending has gone through the roof.

dys

[sunshine05]

I used to get so pissed. I always paid electronically but their system was slow to update and sometimes it would even take a week! So even though I would pay when I received the notification that funds were running low, they would give him the cheese crackers instead of his meal - and my credit card had already been charged! But the "free lunch" kids were eating the normal lunch meal while my kid was hungry - and we paid! I finally opted out of the system after this happened a couple times and packed him his lunch every day. I think that's what bothers me the most - the "free lunch" kids were never given the crackers because our tax dollars paid for their meals in advance. So it's the pay as you go kids that have to suffer the humiliation.

[ShortJohnSilver]

Most raise their prices for kids who can pay, according to research by the nonprofit School Nutrition Association, which found that nearly 60 percent of public school districts raised lunch prices in 2009, the last full year for which national figures were available.

There it is ... full-blown socialism ... just like you see in healthcare for illegals vs. private payers.

[mick silver]

hell i could trade my bag lunch for 2 or 3 school lunchs

[MNeagle]

$2.00 here as well.

[zap]

I used to get so pissed. I always paid electronically but their system was slow to update and sometimes it would even take a week! So even though I would pay when I received the notification that funds were running low, they would give him the cheese crackers instead of his meal - and my credit card had already been charged! But the "free lunch" kids were eating the normal lunch meal while my kid was hungry - and we paid! I finally opted out of the system after this happened a couple times and packed him his lunch every day. I think that's what bothers me the most - the "free lunch" kids were never given the crackers because our tax dollars paid for their meals in advance. So it's the pay as you go kids that have to suffer the humiliation.


I haven't used the electronic system, I go in on the 1st of the month and pay them cash and watch them write it down, then I ask them ok how long does that cover, all month? (People are stupid) I always double check.

I don't know if the little school she goes to gives out cheese and crackers.

[lapis]

2 Bucks here as well.

Since I make my kid's lunch almost every day, she actually sometimes wants to buy a school lunch. But she likes to use her own money; she's already a budding capitalist who likes to do chores to earn money.

My stay-at-home mother made me lunches almost every day too back in the 70s; I can't remember the reason I was allowed to buy them sometimes, but it was a rare "treat" that I didn't look forward to. They sucked back then too!

I liked that she would make me a REAL sandwich with lunchmeat, cheese, and pickles, that she sliced super-thin with a knife. In addition I got an apple, orange, or banana, a treat (usually a Ding Dong or Ho Ho), and a sugar-filled drink like Hawaiian Punch. Holy Moly that was a lot of sugar, but I wasn't fat.


I remember in 4 th grade if I wanted to buy lunch it was .45 cents.

We must be around the same age! I think it was 50 or 75 cents for mine.

[lapis]

Every once in a while my daughter asks me to meet me at her school cafeteria for lunch. The food really sucks--do you know there's still trans-fats in the snacks (especially cookies)? They taste like cr*p too.

The kids no longer can buy whole milk. It's 2% or nonfat, or nonfat chocolate milk. The next time I go I'm going to keep the milk carton. IIRC, they put stuff like cornstarch in the milk, probably to bulk it up. :sicko

[mick silver]

i still dont know why people on food stamps cannot make there kids lunch . my tax buck giving them more then we spent in my house a month to eat ? are am i the only one here wondering why they cant

[mightymanx]

Around here schools provide free BREAKFAST to students up to a certain age. And we wonder why education spending has gone through the roof.

dys


We do year round free brakfast and lunch (yes when school is not in sesson). They are planning to do dinner as well with the possibility of making it "family" so nobody gets upset when Billy gets 3 squares and dad doesn't

I wish I was making this up but I am not that creative.

But My local school super gets 743K per/year for a town of 23,000 so nothing surprises me. The icing on the cake is the school system sucks so bad. I pay for private school. :boom

[MNeagle]

Around here schools provide free BREAKFAST to students up to a certain age. And we wonder why education spending has gone through the roof.

dys


We do year round free brakfast and lunch (yes when school is not in sesson). They are planning to do dinner as well with the possibility of making it "family" so nobody gets upset when Billy gets 3 squares and dad doesn't

I wish I was making this up but I am not that creative.

But My local school super gets 743K per/year for a town of 23,000 so nothing surprises me. The icing on the cake is the school system sucks so bad. I pay for private school. :boom


OMG! What state?

[mightymanx]

i still dont know why people on food stamps cannot make there kids lunch . my tax buck giving them more then we spent in my house a month to eat ? are am i the only one here wondering why they cant


You assume that people on food stamps can cook. Most can barley peel off some lable and toss it in the microwave.

[mightymanx]

Around here schools provide free BREAKFAST to students up to a certain age. And we wonder why education spending has gone through the roof.

dys


We do year round free brakfast and lunch (yes when school is not in sesson). They are planning to do dinner as well with the possibility of making it "family" so nobody gets upset when Billy gets 3 squares and dad doesn't

I wish I was making this up but I am not that creative.

But My local school super gets 743K per/year for a town of 23,000 so nothing surprises me. The icing on the cake is the school system sucks so bad. I pay for private school. :boom


OMG! What state?


The Peoples democratic state of Washington. Specificaly the town of Bremerton.

[Ponce]

Back in the 50's we all paid for our lunches.....I think.......I never saw anyone with a card or signing a note or anything like that

[mick silver]

back in the 50 you didnt wear shoes to school . i have heard my mom say they took cornbread an beans to school for lunch

[Ponce]

Darn Silver, that sounds good to me.......

[Cobalt]

Making sure your child has a nutritious lunch is a Parental Responsibility

Welfare is a Privilege

School lunch give away programs are Bullshit

Kick the Welfare bitches off the couch and make them fix a lunch for the kid, it's not like anyone is asking them too work for the food they have sitting in the fridge

[Book]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/images/seder_blog.jpg

http://www2.pictures.gi.zimbio.com/White+House+Hosts+First+Black+Tie+Dinner+National+ 2Di5YzqgCTZl.jpg

http://www.whitehousemuseum.org/floor1/blue-room/blue-room-2002-dining.jpg

Yeah...let's stop feeding our children with tax money.

:oo-->

[willie pete]

breakfast is free, lunches are $2.50 (for highschrools).....Lunches are also free for the 1700 unsponsored haitian highschrool-age students that came over after the earthquake last year...doing some quick math...that comes out to $85,000 a MONTH :o and NOT to mention the push to give ALL of them scholorships to universities :D :D

[mick silver]

and the kids born here cant get a free scholorships to universities .

[ShortJohnSilver]

Making sure your child has a nutritious lunch is a Parental Responsibility

Welfare is a Privilege

School lunch give away programs are Bullshit

Kick the Welfare bitches off the couch and make them fix a lunch for the kid, it's not like anyone is asking them too work for the food they have sitting in the fridge


The money will run out soon enough and they will either learn to cook or zombie-fy.

[hoarder]

Who pays for the lunches America's children eat at school is a small issue compared to what's in it....disclosed and undisclosed. Do Khazar children get kosher lunches or do they eat goy food?

[MAGNES]

What happened to bagging your own lunch ?

A sandwich, pop, and apple ?

Back then pop was good for you too, it was real sugar, lol .

Nobody was fat.

No wonder people are useless, they can't even teach
their kids to feed themselves out of laziness.

[mick silver]

hoarder we know there moms make them brown bag lunches . there not going to eat that crap they call food ... just having fun with you

[willie pete]

comming up through elementary schrool....I brown-bagged it...although they were ALWAYS better than the schrool lunch :D

[ximmy]

What happened to bagging your own lunch ?

A sandwich, pop, and apple ?

Back then pop was good for you too, it was real sugar, lol .

Nobody was fat.

No wonder people are useless, they can't even teach
their kids to feed themselves out of laziness.


I don't know why but your post reminded me of Katie...
what a sweetheart of a girl...
--------------
Katie loves Star Wars, and she was very excited about her new items. For the first few months of school, she proudly filled her water bottle herself and helped me pack her lunch each morning.

But a week ago, as we were packing her lunch, Katie said, "My Star Wars water bottle is too small. It doesn't hold enough water. Can I take a different one?" She searched through the cupboard until she found a pink water bottle and said, "I'll bring this."

I was perplexed. "Katie, that water bottle is no bigger than your Star Wars one. I think it is actually smaller."

"It's fine, I'll just take it," she insisted.

I kept pushing the issue, because it didn't make sense to me. Suddenly, Katie burst into tears.

She wailed, "The first grade boys are teasing me at lunch because I have a Star Wars water bottle. They say it's only for boys. Every day they make fun of me for drinking out of it. I want them to stop, so I'll just bring a pink water bottle."

Continue reading at NowPublic.com: 7 Year Old Katie Bullied For Liking Star Wars | NowPublic News Coverage http://www.nowpublic.com/health/7-year-old-katie-goldman-bullied-liking-star-wars-2731110.html#ixzz1EevH8j7K
-------------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1yLlkPKuRk

[AndreaGail]

mine were $3 per meal
and 90% of the mexicans got "reduced" (read: free) lunches ::)

[Buddha]

Going to public high school in a large city I was literally one of the ONLY kids with out free lunch vouchers. I can't remember exactly what the lunch cost, but is was some thing like $2.50. It was shit anyway, greasy pizza or hamburgers usually (god forbid they had sheppards pie that day) with fries and a pint of milk. Or one could go to the "good" lunch line and get a spicy fried chicken sandwich and seasoned fries for like $4. Why are people fat and unable to concentrate? It beats me.

[Cobalt]

Lunches are just one of the problems with the education system now a days, for some reason many parents feel that the taxpayer is obligated to provide everything for them.

Somewhere along the lines the term "Basic Education" turned into provide everything.

The schools around here are elaborate, beautiful buildings spread out across many acres not counting the state of the art athletic fields which are in my opinion also not part of Basic Education.

I as a taxpayer am expected to fork over wads of funds and then at the end of the year the parents of the kids who benefit from it are the ones that get to write off having kids as a deduction, how about they apply that deduction to the schools.

You should hear the parents whine when someone brings up the subject of charging extra curricular activity fees, they have a fit if you try and charge them and start talking about it should be part of the school budget.

[cthulu]

I used to ask my mom for lunch money and then eiher did not eat lunch or bought 5 cracker packs at 5 cents each. By he end of the year I was rich.

[Buddha]

I used to ask my mom for lunch money and then eiher did not eat lunch or bought 5 cracker packs at 5 cents each. By he end of the year I was rich.


You then converted your riches into $4/oz silver correct?

[JDRock]

mine were $3 per meal
and 90% of the mexicans got "reduced" (read: free) lunches ::)


in our schools, the white kids are forced to stay outside in the cold, while the illegals , their parents,uncles cousins etc, stuff their ungreatful faces for free...AFTERR they are done the white kids can go in and eat
ONLY if they have $.

[dys]

I don't believe in public schools at all, but if you are going to have them I'm with the parents on this one. Why? Because they already pay for extracurriculers with their tax dollars. By the way, the availability of extra curriculer activities seems to me to be collapsing even as spending on public education has gone through the roof. Charging people for things they already pay for 5x over is pretty reprehensible in my opinion.

dys



Lunches are just one of the problems with the education system now a days, for some reason many parents feel that the taxpayer is obligated to provide everything for them.

Somewhere along the lines the term "Basic Education" turned into provide everything.

The schools around here are elaborate, beautiful buildings spread out across many acres not counting the state of the art athletic fields which are in my opinion also not part of Basic Education.

I as a taxpayer am expected to fork over wads of funds and then at the end of the year the parents of the kids who benefit from it are the ones that get to write off having kids as a deduction, how about they apply that deduction to the schools.

You should hear the parents whine when someone brings up the subject of charging extra curricular activity fees, they have a fit if you try and charge them and start talking about it should be part of the school budget.

[Low_five]

My parents would forget to leave money for me 2 or three times a week, so they would pay me double the next day, if they remembered. It didnt matter to me, because I would save it to buy what I wanted later. I would do my days homework in the library so I could watch TV at home, because I didnt have a quiet place away from all my young brothers. It saved me from being embarrassed in front of my friends and helped me cut weight for wrestling. My parents couldnt figure out how I was passing, because they never saw me study or do homework. i was verrrry jealous of the kids with the cards with nice clothes who got free breakfast and lunch. My first lesson in welfare. i was acutely aware that they had better clothes than me, and some even had a car. I hated the system that let me fall through the cracks, because my family ate hotdogs every night. I liked a polish girl, foreign exchange, named anya, so i sat with the foreigners so I could be near her. They all ate every day.

Sorry, this is a very sore subject for me.

[vacuum]

Making sure your child has a nutritious lunch is a Parental Responsibility

Welfare is a Privilege

School lunch give away programs are Bullshit

Kick the Welfare bitches off the couch and make them fix a lunch for the kid, it's not like anyone is asking them too work for the food they have sitting in the fridge

Problem is, then some kids just wouldn't eat anything. You can't force kids to stay at daycare all day (or else face truancy), then not feed them.

[mightymanx]

Supply List for 21st Century Classroom (Mrs. Carr)
Do not write names on anything except for the Pencil box, backpack, and USB drive! We share everything else.

1 USB Flash drive (any size) – this will be used to send computer files between home and school to work on. Your child will use this daily. You can get these for as little as $10.00!

1 Backpack
1 Bottle White Elmer Brand Glue – do not buy off brand they just don’t hold up the same (NO GEL!)
9 Small Glue sticks
1 School Box 8X5
1 Package Crayola brand crayons – do not buy off brand they just don’t perform the same.
3 Large Boxes Kleenex
1 Bottle- Hand Sanitizer
1 Bottle- Liquid Hand Soap (we use this in art)
1 Package Wide Ruled paper
1 Composition Notebook
2 Spiral Notebooks wide ruled with 3 hole punch in them
1 Colored pencils
1 Package Washable markers (no fine tip)
1 Package Black Dry Erase Markers
1 Package Black Sharpie Markers
1 Pair of Socks – we use these as erasers
2 Ream copy paper – 1 white, 1 brightly colored
1 Emergency Kit


Look at how the school puts the classroom supplies on the students as well

We hear the schools are broke they are broke but they will not cut Administrator pay.

[Cobalt]

Supply List for 21st Century Classroom (Mrs. Carr)
Do not write names on anything except for the Pencil box, backpack, and USB drive! We share everything else.

1 USB Flash drive (any size) – this will be used to send computer files between home and school to work on. Your child will use this daily. You can get these for as little as $10.00!

1 Backpack
1 Bottle White Elmer Brand Glue – do not buy off brand they just don’t hold up the same (NO GEL!)
9 Small Glue sticks
1 School Box 8X5
1 Package Crayola brand crayons – do not buy off brand they just don’t perform the same.
3 Large Boxes Kleenex
1 Bottle- Hand Sanitizer
1 Bottle- Liquid Hand Soap (we use this in art)
1 Package Wide Ruled paper
1 Composition Notebook
2 Spiral Notebooks wide ruled with 3 hole punch in them
1 Colored pencils
1 Package Washable markers (no fine tip)
1 Package Black Dry Erase Markers
1 Package Black Sharpie Markers
1 Pair of Socks – we use these as erasers
2 Ream copy paper – 1 white, 1 brightly colored
1 Emergency Kit


Look at how the school puts the classroom supplies on the students as well

We hear the schools are broke they are broke but they will not cut Administrator pay.





My niece and nephew go to a Catholic school where my brother pays tuition and they have about the same list