perumbula
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,439 
Location: Idaho
|
Post by perumbula on Aug 13, 2015 22:27:14 GMT
All students now get free meals. No applications from the parents. No fees. Every student gets a free breakfast and a free lunch every day. No exceptions.
Our district has a very high percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch, and most of those are free anyway. Less than 10% of elementary students bring their lunch from home. It's higher at the middle school and high school, but not by much. They have had huge issues with families who have had to pay not being able to pay for lunches, so when they passed the bond this last spring they decided to include all lunch costs for all schools.
I personally appreciate it. I know that a lot of parents in our district will be very relieved to not have to come up with the funds for meals.
Does anyone else have a district doing this?
|
|
purplebee
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,729
|
Post by purplebee on Aug 13, 2015 22:33:14 GMT
No, our small district hasn't done this. As a Cashier/Cook at Primary School, it would certainly make my life a whole lot easier!
|
|
|
|
Post by twoboyzmom on Aug 13, 2015 22:33:45 GMT
I wish
|
|
peabay
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,606
Jun 25, 2014 19:50:41 GMT
|
Post by peabay on Aug 13, 2015 22:35:01 GMT
Those lucky kids. Those may be the only meals they get during the week. And i know some districts send kids home with food on the weekend because they won't eat over the weekend if they don't.  |
|
Nicole in TX
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,951
|
Post by Nicole in TX on Aug 13, 2015 22:36:34 GMT
I worked for a district like this. It was easier for everyone involved.
|
|
johnnysmom
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,682
Jun 25, 2014 21:16:33 GMT
|
Post by johnnysmom on Aug 13, 2015 22:36:46 GMT
Ours has free breakfasts for all students but not lunch. I think it was a combination of the percentage of free/reduced lunch kids and the fact that so many kids were coming to school without breakfast for whatever reason.
|
|
|
|
Post by freecharlie on Aug 13, 2015 22:39:58 GMT
All students now get free meals. No applications from the parents. No fees. Every student gets a free breakfast and a free lunch every day. No exceptions. Our district has a very high percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch, and most of those are free anyway. Less than 10% of elementary students bring their lunch from home. It's higher at the middle school and high school, but not by much. They have had huge issues with families who have had to pay not being able to pay for lunches, so when they passed the bond this last spring they decided to include all lunch costs for all schools. I personally appreciate it. I know that a lot of parents in our district will be very relieved to not have to come up with the funds for meals. Does anyone else have a district doing this? in our state, a bond can only be used for structures and buildings. Mill levies could pay for lunches maybe. I know we had a couple of schools in my old district where every kid got breakfast and they had a fruit or veggie snack in the afternoon |
|
|
|
Post by cmpeter on Aug 13, 2015 22:42:08 GMT
That is awesome!
|
|
SabrinaP
Pearl Clutcher
Busy Teacher Pea
Posts: 4,350
Location: Dallas Texas
|
Post by SabrinaP on Aug 13, 2015 22:45:33 GMT
If a school has an extremely high percentage of free/reduced lunches, the school can qualify for this federal program. I believe it has to be around 90%.
|
|
|
|
Post by gracieplusthree on Aug 13, 2015 22:46:54 GMT
all of our schools in the county system get free breakfast and lunch EXCEPT the highschool only gets free breakfast(and only for the 2nd half of the school year I think) .. being that my youngest is in HS I sure wish he got both free everday,but I wont complain, and we are on reduced lunch anyway so that helps a lot too.
|
|
|
|
Post by hosschick on Aug 13, 2015 22:48:56 GMT
Yep, quite a few districts around here do this. A smidge of info here: Community EligibilitySome areas provide summer lunch as well. In the city, they send sort of a food truck thingie to different neighborhoods so that kids are within walking distance of their lunch. They'll give food to any child of any age, no questions asked. It's wonderful and heartbreaking at the same time. |
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
May 9, 2024 17:33:26 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2015 22:52:58 GMT
Nashville instituted that program last year I think it was.
I'm sure there were some students who benefitted from it but it also, according to a large group of teachers, increases food waste exponentially.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
May 9, 2024 17:33:26 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 13, 2015 22:55:57 GMT
My dad serves toast at "one" of the middle schools on Tuesday mornings. I think there are *2* schools in our district that have breakfast served to my knowledge. Heck most schools don't have a "lunch room" as in a room that kids can sit AT a TABLE and eat. (I think idiots designed our schools when they were building them. What school doesn't have a lunch room? All our schools). This is an amazing thing to do for all kids. I have to say whatever district your are in perumbula they truly value the kids and their time at school. I can't imagine a child sitting in a desk not having eaten since the night before. I *know* it happens here and it's wrong. Your district is awesome! |
|
garcia5050
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,728
Location: So. Calif.
|
Post by garcia5050 on Aug 13, 2015 22:56:18 GMT
Lots of schools in So. Cal do the free breakfast thing (like LA Unified). I've heard from many LA Unified teachers that this is a terrible idea - logistically. They don't allow the kids to eat breakfast in the cafeteria, so the teachers receive a delivery of individual/reusable packages to each classroom. Half or most of the kids don't eat the breakfast - so it goes straight to the trash. And with other budget cuts (to janitor and trash services), the classrooms now have mice, cockroaches, sour milk smell, and flies. It's got to be lovely. It's also disruptive to the teacher's morning routine. All of these teachers would prefer that this service be available in the cafeteria. I heard about this last year. I wonder if anything has changed.
Ideally, it does sound like a great idea. My kid's school does have the free breakfast available in the cafeteria.
|
|
eastcoastpea
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,252
Jun 27, 2014 13:05:28 GMT
|
Post by eastcoastpea on Aug 13, 2015 22:59:58 GMT
Nothing like that here. We have free, reduced and full price. Last year I was told that the full price was going to be going up even more to offset (not sure if that's the word I really want) the reduced price lunches.
Senior citizens can have lunch at the middle school. Their lunch is higher priced than the kids reduced price but less than the kids full price.
I think that a lot more kids would eat lunch if it was free for all of the kids. For one thing, it would make the line move faster and that's one of the reasons my kids no longer buy school lunch. You have to stand in that same line if you are buying just a milk or a water as well.
I'll be interested to see if this pops up in more and more places.
|
|
Nicole in TX
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,951
|
Post by Nicole in TX on Aug 13, 2015 23:00:40 GMT
Lots of schools in So. Cal do the free breakfast thing (like LA Unified). I've heard from many LA Unified teachers that this is a terrible idea - logistically. They don't allow the kids to eat breakfast in the cafeteria, so the teachers receive a delivery of individual/reusable packages to each classroom. Half or most of the kids don't eat the breakfast - so it goes straight to the trash. And with other budget cuts (to janitor and trash services), the classrooms now have mice, cockroaches, sour milk smell, and flies. It's got to be lovely. It's also disruptive to the teacher's morning routine. All of these teachers would prefer that this service be available in the cafeteria. I heard about this last year. I wonder if anything has changed. Ideally, it does sound like a great idea. My kid's school does have the free breakfast available in the cafeteria. They did this when I taught 6th grade. French toast sticks and a small container of syrup x 25 kids = eating at their desks. First thing in the morning. Great way to start the day, I'll tell ya!  |
|
|
|
Post by twinks on Aug 13, 2015 23:05:45 GMT
Wish they would do something like this at our local school. It would have solved a lot of problems with school staff throwing away the lunches of some students and all the controversy surrounding it.
|
|
ohscraps
Shy Member
Posts: 16
|
Post by ohscraps on Aug 13, 2015 23:08:58 GMT
I would totally support my tax dollars going towards this.
I had free or reduced lunches throughout my childhood, and I was always embarrassed because anyone seeing me go through the lunch cashier knew I was poor. Granted, they probably knew anyways, but there was no way to hide the fact that I was waived through the cashier. Everyone knew what that meant. With a program like this, I think it would take away that stigma.
Every child deserves healthy food at school.
|
|
|
|
Post by beachbum on Aug 13, 2015 23:15:51 GMT
The district where I taught has done this for the past couple of years. I think my school had a free/reduced % of somewhere around 94% the last year I taught. We also had the backpack program for the weekends for several children. We had a fruit/veggie grant for a couple of years, too. That was great, the kids were exposed to all sorts of new foods. I was amazed at how many of my 2nd graders had never had a fresh strawberry. It's sad, you don't realize what these kids don't have until something like that comes along. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries - all strange foods to many of them.
|
|
perumbula
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,439
Location: Idaho
|
Post by perumbula on Aug 13, 2015 23:21:38 GMT
freecharlie you are correct. I used the wrong term. It was a supplemental levy. They may also have qualified for the 90% program. Our free/reduced numbers were very, very high. We have been doing free breakfast for 15 years at all the schools. They do eat in the lunch room though. Making kids eat breakfast in their classroom is crazy. those teachers must hate it so much! I think my younger son will still bring his lunch every day. He's a super picky eater and mostly wants leftover pasta (eaten cold I guess) and peanut butter sandwiches (still allowed in our district.)
|
|
perumbula
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,439
Location: Idaho
|
Post by perumbula on Aug 13, 2015 23:22:54 GMT
beachbum your district sounds like ours. We've had the backpack program on Fridays for five years and the afternoon fruit or veggie snack for a little less than that.
|
|
|
|
Post by traceys on Aug 13, 2015 23:31:34 GMT
My district did it. Free breakfast and lunch for all students. The problem was that they don't like it, and the portions are horribly small. Our football players and other athletes were starving.
|
|
NoWomanNoCry
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,856
|
Post by NoWomanNoCry on Aug 13, 2015 23:46:14 GMT
When I was in HS my friend and I both were on the free lunch program and she had younger siblings that weren't in school yet plus a mom that was a crack whore (literally- she was on crack and whored herself out for crack) so we would always bring our free breakfast back to her siblings before the bell rang (she lived right by the school- easy walk). It's shocking at all the kids who are going to school not hungry.
I think its a great idea for school to go all free lunch. It also eliminates the embarrassment of being a "free lunch" kid because when you're younger you DO get picked on for going into the lunch line with the free lunch ticket card. It sucks.
|
|
|
|
Post by mollycoddle on Aug 13, 2015 23:48:23 GMT
Ours has free breakfasts for all students but not lunch. I think it was a combination of the percentage of free/reduced lunch kids and the fact that so many kids were coming to school without breakfast for whatever reason. Mine does. Lots of kids come to school hungry. |
|
perumbula
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,439
Location: Idaho
|
Post by perumbula on Aug 13, 2015 23:54:41 GMT
When I was in HS my friend and I both were on the free lunch program and she had younger siblings that weren't in school yet plus a mom that was a crack whore (literally- she was on crack and whored herself out for crack) so we would always bring our free breakfast back to her siblings before the bell rang (she lived right by the school- easy walk). It's shocking at all the kids who are going to school not hungry. I think its a great idea for school to go all free lunch. It also eliminates the embarrassment of being a "free lunch" kid because when you're younger you DO get picked on for going into the lunch line with the free lunch ticket card. It sucks. I remember being embarrassed as a kid. Growing up the school had tickets you bought by the day or the month. Most kids bought them a week at a time. all the free lunch kids got one month tickets, so it was pretty obvious who the free lunch kids were. Luckily, our district did not differentiate the lines. everyone had the same tickets and then when they switched to computers, everyone logged in, and now our elementary school does a fingerprint scanner. No one knows who is free or reduced. However, when nearly all your peers are in the same boat as you it cuts way down on teasing. Pretty much you know who isn't because those were the ones bringing lunch from home every day. We didn't really have issues with it about lunch. I don't know if the backpack kids get teased because all the kids know what's in the back packs. |
|
|
|
Post by gorgeouskid on Aug 13, 2015 23:59:55 GMT
Just posted on the other thread... My district has always provided free lunches and breakfasts to everyone, regardless of free/reduced status. The district has a high enough level of free/reduced students to qualify for this service. It's a Title I district.
I'm grateful that no child has to go hungry during the school day.
|
|
Peal
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,524
Jun 25, 2014 22:45:40 GMT
|
Post by Peal on Aug 14, 2015 0:17:10 GMT
I wish my kids elementary school would do this. It's a Title I school and most of the kids are on free/reduced anyway. When I declined to fill out the application when I first enrolled DS the staff were a little shocked. My son packs his lunch because it's cheaper for me than buying the lunch, but he has lost 3 lunch boxes and had his lunch stolen because the school doesn't have a good way of helping him get his lunch box from the classroom, to recess, to the lunch room, to the specials class, then back to his cubby in his classroom. When we talked to admin about the problem after the lunch was stolen they admitted it had never occurred to them because there are so few kids who bring lunch it isn't even on their radar.
They did provide free breakfast for all kids last year, but the letter the district sent out this year had prices for breakfast. But that might be district wide and DS's school may still offer free breakfast.
|
|
moodyblue
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,175
Location: Western Illinois
Site Supporter
Jun 26, 2014 21:07:23 GMT
|
Post by moodyblue on Aug 14, 2015 0:20:54 GMT
We have this program in the district where I teach - new this year too. Makes it a lot easier in some ways. We also have the backpack program that provides food for the weekend for some students. For a couple years we had the grant for the fruit/veggie snacks, but haven't had that recently.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
May 9, 2024 17:33:26 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2015 0:31:16 GMT
If a school has an extremely high percentage of free/reduced lunches, the school can qualify for this federal program. I believe it has to be around 90%. Um, no. Our school participates in this program and "only" 34% of students qualify for free/reduced lunches. |
|
|
|
Post by crazy4scraps on Aug 14, 2015 0:46:29 GMT
The elementary school DD will attend this fall has free breakfast for all the kindergarteners for sure, it might be for all the kids. The problem with it is that they only have about 20 minutes to get in the cafeteria, through the line and to eat from the time they are allowed into the school building and the time school starts.
Since the bus schedule hasn't come out yet, I have no idea how much time DD will have from the time the bus gets to school until school starts in the morning, and she's a poky eater anyway so even with the full 20 minutes I doubt it would be enough time for her to actually eat. I would rather feed her at home just so I know she's eating something in the morning, but it will be a nice backup especially since those first few weeks of school with my night owl kid will probably be brutal.
They also do the free, reduced and full priced lunches for the kids but it's all done through a computerized fee pay system online so no one would know if a kid was free or not.
We've been sending her to a summer program through Early Childhood Education and there is a free lunch program available at the junior high across the parking lot. ECFE brings all the kids over there for lunch where they can eat what the school has or bring a lunch from home. Sometimes she eats the school lunch, other days she brings one just depending on what they have. Every weekday they will feed any kid up to age 18 that shows up, no forms to fill out and no paperwork. You're a kid, you show up, you eat free and we're definitely not in a low income area.
|
|
Time to get off the internet!
