Lunches seized from Utah schoolkids because of unpaid bills?

[PapewaioAcoma]

So instead of talking to the kids afterwards in private, this school decides to publicly humiliate these kids for something their parents did (or in at least one case, didn't do).

Since I can't post links yet, search for USNews reports-lunches-seized-from-utah-schoolkids-because-of-unpaid-bills

[Orange Joe]

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2014...aid-bills?lite


What doesn't make sense to me is that they gave the lunch to them in the first place.



"Hey you owe us money so lets waste more money by throwing your lunch away......"

[MerinPally]

Fruit and milk? Probably 10x healthier for them as what was in their lunchbox already. It's a lack of common sense on all levels, where bureaucracy takes precedence, but this isn't the "you monsters" propaganda that some would make it out to be.

Hell, I'm at university, I'm 20, and I'd kill for a lunch of an orange and milk. I spend 9-5 in the labs on thursday, I don't even get a lunch break if I don't do everything perfectly the first time and still want to finish the experiment. If I could run outside and grab an orange and milk I'd be thrilled to bits.

[xuros]

Fruit and milk? Probably 10x healthier for them as what was in their lunchbox already. It's a lack of common sense on all levels, where bureaucracy takes precedence, but this isn't the "you monsters" propaganda that some would make it out to be.

Hell, I'm at university, I'm 20, and I'd kill for a lunch of an orange and milk. I spend 9-5 in the labs on thursday, I don't even get a lunch break if I don't do everything perfectly the first time and still want to finish the experiment. If I could run outside and grab an orange and milk I'd be thrilled to pieces.

The time used to post this here on Thursday you could have drank that milk or ate something!!!!---lol Just had to do it!

[belfpala]

This isn't a new thing at all. One time back in high school (sometime in the 90's, for reference), I went through the school lunch line, got my lunch, went to the thing where I type in my code. DENIED, not enough money in account. Ok fine. I had a job by that point. So I got the $1.50 or whatever school lunch cost at that time out of my pocket and tried to pay for it. Nope, money has to be in the account before class starts on that day, can't pay with cash in this line. Food tossed. No offer of giving me anything else.

So, I walked over to the other window that actually did sell things for cash and I think I bought 2 cookies and some ice cream. That was my lunch.

Very different circumstance, of course, in that I had my own money and could have filled my account that morning if I had known it was empty. But still, throwing away the food in front of me? How about... just negative my account, I'll fill it tomorrow?

[Rukentuts]

What doesn't make sense to me is that they gave the lunch to them in the first place.

Agreed. When I got to the checkout line to input my code, and I had no money in the account, they just said "nuh uh" and I had to give it up.

Was this embarrassing? Definitely, but hardly morally reprehensible.

[MerinPally]

The time used to post this here on Thursday you could have drank that milk or ate something!!!!---lol Just had to do it!

It's 9:05pm... Lunchtime is long gone Had some food when I got home. But I had a 5-6 lecture as well so I actually went 9-6 with no break, food or water. Blearghhh.

[Vizardlorde]

The time used to post this here on Thursday you could have drank that milk or ate something!!!!---lol Just had to do it!

Or you know it could be a different time where he lives and he is not in school.

[TheSerialSniper]

I did not realize having an account to get a lunch at school was a thing. I graduated in 2008 and I was always able to buy my lunch with cash money when I wanted to. I cannot believe the schools would rather throw food away and at the same time denying it from a CHILD at that rather then take cash money or let them pay the next day.

Edit: After reading the article they still gave the kids food (fruit and a milk) probably better than what the school lunch would be anyways. I do not understand the huge issue here.

[Bananarez]

These schools hardly make a pittance on school lunches. Why do they even charge for them at all? If anything you should be holding the parents responsible for not paying, not withholding food from children who need it.

[Rob D]

A lunch account at my kids school can go in the minus, I think you can owe up to $6 from K to 4, $5 from 5 to 7, etc. If you are over that limit they still give you turkey sandwiches. Notifications of insufficient funds are given to the students to take to their parents. And we can either pay in cash at the school itself, or charge money to the account online.

[Deleted]

If such things would occur (again) in most European countries, expect lots of people on the streets (again).

Especially if the students were young children, that's just not acceptable.
and throwing away food?

makes me rage

[The Stormbringer]

I don't understand why they would throw it away. Seriously? It's better to waste food than allow the children who already had it eat it? Either way it's going to end up irrecoverable, so why not put it to some good and feed the fucking hungry kids? The logic is fucking ridiculous.

[belfpala]

Agreed. When I got to the checkout line to input my code, and I had no money in the account, they just said "nuh uh" and I had to give it up.

Was this embarrassing? Definitely, but hardly morally reprehensible.

It happened to me a couple times. I usually brought food from home, only used the school lunch once or sometimes twice per week. If I had $30 in the account at the start of the year, it would usually last the semester, so I didn't pay any attention to it.

Worst part? Both times it happened, the person behind me in line offered to use their code so I could have lunch. Nope. FORBIDDEN.

[zito]

Makes zero sense to punish the kids and then just throw away the food. The school was going to lose money either way so it was lose money and potentially get it back from the parents by giving the kid he owes money food or throw the food away and lose money and not get any back.

so dumb...

[diddle]

The United States is a perfect example of what happens when every single aspect of life is treated like a business. Kids being punished for the faults of their parents. You guys hear about that politician that suggested that kids on free lunches work as janitors to make up the costs?

[cherb]

The United States is a perfect example of what happens when every single aspect of life is treated like a business. Kids being punished for the faults of their parents. You guys hear about that politician that suggested that kids on free lunches work as janitors to make up the costs?

In many cases I wouldn't even call it the "fault" of the parents, as low-income families can often suddenly just happen upon even harder times. Car breaks down? Well, guess what, it's getting fixed over the kid's lunch bill, because no car = no job at all. Electric got shut off because it was late? Well, it's getting turned back on before the lunch bill gets paid. I realize that sometimes the parents can be blamed, but as the son of a teacher in a low-income area, I can tell firsthand that sometimes little things like this just get put on the back burner because something more important comes up, and when you are restricted to counting every single penny that you make, shit happens. It's hard to understand when someone has never been there themselves. It's easy to tell someone to pull themselves up when the person saying it has no idea what it's like to be in that situation. (not saying the person I'm quoting said this at all, more that the school who is taking food from kids probably don't understand at all what could be going on at home or after the kid leaves school)

[MerinPally]

The United States is a perfect example of what happens when every single aspect of life is treated like a business. Kids being punished for the faults of their parents. You guys hear about that politician that suggested that kids on free lunches work as janitors to make up the costs?

No, it's an example of lack of common sense and compassion rather than to slander the entire US system. This sort of stuff would happen in Europe too, but you know why it doesn't? Because someone stops and thinks rather than follows protocol. It's not a unique to the US system, it's the people on premises not giving a shit.

[diddle]

No, it's an example of lack of common sense and compassion rather than to slander the entire US system. This sort of stuff would happen in Europe too, but you know why it doesn't? Because someone stops and thinks rather than follows protocol. It's not a unique to the US system, it's the people on premises not giving a shit.

You say you are not slandering the system by saying that it occurs because no one in it has common sense or compassion, then you mention that it works in Europe because they have such things?

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In many cases I wouldn't even call it the "fault" of the parents, as low-income families can often suddenly just happen upon even harder times. Car breaks down? Well, guess what, it's getting fixed over the kid's lunch bill, because no car = no job at all. Electric got shut off because it was late? Well, it's getting turned back on before the lunch bill gets paid. I realize that sometimes the parents can be blamed, but as the son of a teacher in a low-income area, I can tell firsthand that sometimes little things like this just get put on the back burner because something more important comes up, and when you are restricted to counting every single penny that you make, shit happens. It's hard to understand when someone has never been there themselves. It's easy to tell someone to pull themselves up when the person saying it has no idea what it's like to be in that situation. (not saying the person I'm quoting said this at all, more that the school who is taking food from kids probably don't understand at all what could be going on at home or after the kid leaves school)

Personally I'd say if the difference between your kid eating lunch and not is decided by the condition of your car, you shouldn't have kids as you cannot support them. It's not the kids' fault though that they were born to idiots.

[Vizardlorde]

You say you are not slandering the system by saying that it occurs because no one in it has common sense or compassion, then you mention that it works in Europe because they have such things?

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Personally I'd say if the difference between your kid eating lunch and not is decided by the condition of your car, you shouldn't have kids as you cannot support them.

No car means no job no job means no money and no money means you cant support your kid. When you are poor you start thinking that not feeding your kid properly for a couple of days cen help you put a roof over his head and food on the table for a couple of years.