A Warwick school district in Rhode Island is about to implement a new and cruel, punishing and shaming policy on low-income students starting May 13, 2019. Of the 9,000 public school students in the district, those who have not paid up their lunch money will be stuck eating sunflower butter and jelly sandwiches every day until the debt is paid. To add fuel to the flame, it’s more than likely that some of the children receiving the limited menu will be singled out and bullied by other kids who notice. It’s not enough that the lunches may be the only meal some of these children get all day.
A Facebook post from the district states that nearly 70 percent of school lunches in Rhode Island are served for free or at a reduced price, determined by the states. But as of this Monday, if money is owed for any discounted or free lunches, sunflower butter and jelly is it. This even applies to families that qualify for free lunches, but the child grabs something extra—like another milk. The debt begins to grow.
Warwick School Committee chairwoman Karen Bachus told NBC that some kids like to order the low-income sandwiches anyway. Prior to this new policy, the schools used to serve children cheese sandwiches. She says those sandwiches did single the kids out, but now they get an on-the-menu meal and says, “So what’s wrong with that?”
What’s wrong with that? Well, to start, maybe the child gets heckled by other kids because he/he orders the same sandwich every day. Or maybe that child wants to try what a friend is eating. Or maybe the child simply doesn’t like sunflower butter and jelly sandwiches. That’s what’s wrong with that, Ms. Bachus. Tomorrow we'll work on colors. One has to wonder if people like her are even fit to oversee our children’s education.
The children do get a vegetable of the day, fruit and milk with their sb&J sandwich, Bachus attests, so it could be worse.
It’s understood that the money to pay for free school lunches has to come from somewhere—but wouldn’t the taxes we pay at least keep children from starving or being punished for their parents not having money?
There’s more to this story—as if the above isn’t enough. The association said this problem is an easy fix. All the parents need to do is pay online! Just get your credit cards out and pay online. You know, because all low-income family heads of households have credit cards. Oh, and the district folks condescendingly remind the parents to take advantage of any charitable donations—yet the district itself is turning down thousands in donations from entities wanting to pay for the outstanding lunch debts. NBC reports:
Warwick Public Schools, meanwhile, refused a $4,000 donation offered to them from a local restaurant owner, Angelica Penta. “I have met with Warwick twice and the second time I left in tears after they refused to take a $4,000 check,” she wrote on Facebook.
The district released a statement saying they didn’t take the donation because they didn’t want to be responsible for how the money would be allocated.
“Each time these offers were made, Warwick Public Schools stated that the school department was not in the position to single out or identify specific students that should be selected for a reduction in their lunch debt while excluding others,” the statement said, according to NBC affiliate WJAR.
Wouldn’t it just be common division? You take the sum of the donations and divvy it up between all schools in the district, and each school divvies it up to pay for student debts. Instead, they are working with lawyers. I have to wonder how many meals those legal fees would buy.
It’s hard to write about a lot of what’s happening in the news these days. But when I see something that negatively affects the lives of innocent children, writing/reporting can become excruciating. There is no reason a country as rich as we are, with a so-called “booming economy” can still have starving students who have to practically beg to be treated like their more well-off peers. And even if they beg…no money, no can do.
Ms. Bachus and her ilk can go to hell or at least go on leave until they can be properly evaluated.
If you feel outraged, you can leave a facebook comment on the Rhode Island district’s page: Warwick Public Schools. At a minimum, check out the comments. I can almost guarantee you will find yourselves agreeing with most.
Read More