Lovely schools...
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Category: News And Views
Forum Name: Thoughts and Opinions
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URL: http://www.tippmannsports.com/forum/wwf77a/forum_posts.asp?TID=180390
Printed Date: 08 March 2026 at 5:16am
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Topic: Lovely schools...
Posted By: stratoaxe
Subject: Lovely schools...
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 5:31pm
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So I'm babysitting my nieces and nephew so my sister can go out tonight. My sister is a single nurse whose husband walked out on her for an 18 year old six years ago, and alot of time she barely makes it by financially. So the kids all come home with pink slips from the cafeteria saying the owe 5 dollars.
I asked them if they've been getting lunch money, they said yes, but that they were past due so the lunch lady takes their money but gives them peanut butter for lunch.
Now, this is my problem. In a politically correct gone mad school system, we have children (whose mother makes "too much" at 45K a year to qualify for reduced lunches) who are still being ridiculed and made examples of instead of dealing with the parents.
It has to be humiliating for a child to have to take peanut butter or dry cereal (yes, the school won't give them milk if they don't bring lunch money) in front of his or her friends, telling the whole world their mother didn't give them their lunch money.
Now I understand that the school can't pay for every kid who didn't bring their lunch money, but we're talking kids who have brought their money every day, but for whatever reason their mother either forgot to give them the money or whatever.
I dunno, for some reason, this really pissed me off. And apparently it's a growing problem-I talked to several of my nephews friends who apparently have parents who are pretty well off (one of whom is my neighbor), and they're all faking their way into reduced lunches because of the schools ridiculous collection policies.
/rant ------------- 
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Replies:
Posted By: choopie911
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 5:35pm
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Why are the kids buying lunch? The responsibility is on the parent to provide food, and that certainly doesn't have to be money to buy it at school. It is far, far cheaper, and probably healthier for the parents to send their kids to school with good sandwiches, bars, drinks, etc packed.
I never bought lunch at school, it's always pricey, and not worth it. |
Posted By: stratoaxe
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 5:40pm
I agree completely, I think it's really a time and management issue with my sister though. When she tried sending their lunches, alot of times things got lost or traded, and sometimes it was just really hard to get things together with everythign else going on.
Everything else aside, because honestly I have alot of issues with my sister over this one, mainly it infuriated me that the public schools force parents to provide enough materials so that underprivelaged kids in the class can share with them, force people without children or those who homeschool to pay school taxes, and in the end will still humiliate small children over a few bucks. -------------
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choopie911 wrote:Posted By: choopie911
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 5:45pm
| It's not hard to make a sandwich, or a complete lunch for that matter. If time is an issue, do it the night before so you can just grab it on your way out the door. Blaming the schools for not doing your job of feeding your children is a bit ridiculous. |
Posted By: stratoaxe
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 6:48pm
You are, once again, missing the point by a mile.
I'm not blaming the schools for not feeding the children, I'm angered by their punishing the children for the parents' mistake. -------------
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Posted By: choopie911
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 6:57pm
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Ok, I see where you're coming from, but what are they supposed to do? The school starts giving out full lunches to kids who forget their lunch, what about kids who then start to "forget" their lunch because they want whats at the cafeteria? If you associate a bill with the child to the parent, what also prevents the same sort of abuse from going on.
It's not a fun situation, but its not really something the school can do something about without potentially digging itself into a hole. |
Posted By: bravecoward
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 7:43pm
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my grade school did the same thing, i only went pass my dues twice but then i just got my friends to buy my lunch bc those pb and j did suck for some reason.
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Posted By: stratoaxe
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 7:44pm
I read you completely man, and honestly I agree with where you're coming from.
But public schools are handout central-and if the school alerts the parent personally that the child hasn't paid their lunch, then other measures can be taken.
I can name a dozen ways just off the top of my head you could deal with this situation without making a public display of a child.
And again, American schools are pc ground zero. A huge amount of effort goes into making sure every kid gets the same treatment, and to me this is just sheer laziness on the school's part.
I agree that it's the parent's place to make sure that a kid gets his lunch, and at some point parents have to be held responsible, but that's between the school and the parent, not the child.
Texas schools are BAD. This is just one of a number of complaints I have with the system. -------------
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Posted By: choopie911
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 7:47pm
| Just hang feed bags in the hall, they can take what they need. |
Posted By: Bolt3
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 9:11pm
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I don't think its that humiliating for the child. It wasn't for me or anyone I've seen. EDIT: But something should be done about it if it is. School lunch ladies can be the worst. ------------- <Removed sig for violation of Clause 4 of the New Sig Rules> |
Posted By: ammolord
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 9:16pm
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it happens in my school all the time. i just bring my own lunch though. ------------- PSN Tag: AmmoLord XBL: xXAmmoLordXx ~Minister of Tinkering With Things That Go "BOOM!"(AKA Minister of Munitions)~ |
Posted By: Frozen Balls
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 9:28pm
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Our schools would just let you eat for free if your parents couldn't afford it.
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Posted By: Skillet42565
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 9:38pm
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Posted By: procarbinefreak
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 9:45pm
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i'm a full supporter of the school lunch program. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but i know that the reduced priced lunch income guidelines are based off of the income associated with the poverty line. are you sure she doesn't qualify in one way or another for reduced priced lunches? are you sure the school they go to participates in the reduced price school lunch program? all schools aren't required to by law... it's up the the district. and choopie, as to the better nutritionally argument, school lunches, especially in elementary schools and middle schools use stringent guidelines to what amount of certain nutrients have to be in the meal. if parents are smart about it, sure you can get a healthy meal, but i've seen some ridiculous brown bag lunches that kids get from home... 2 cans of soda, giant portions of chips, cookies out the wazoo... schools at least are required to limit fat and calories to a reasonable level and to provide a well rounded meal. |
Posted By: choopie911
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 9:54pm
Why wouldn't you just lie and get free lunch? |
Posted By: jmac3
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 10:02pm
I know the qualifications for free lunch were pretty low. I forget how it was done now but it was possible to get it and they would know who got it for free. You couldn't just lie at the register. ------------- Que pasa? 
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Posted By: Tical3.0
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 10:07pm
| In my school they handed out coupons for the cafe to the less fortunate kids |
Posted By: tallen702
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 10:10pm
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We always had a lunch number. Parents were billed monthly for our meals at the school. ------------- <Removed overly wide sig. Tsk, you know better.> |
Posted By: Frozen Balls
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 11:06pm
There was paperwork involved. Also, our school had a subway, which you couldn't get on that program. -------------
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Posted By: Frozen Balls
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 11:07pm
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Oh yea and what in the name of Apu is my avatar? This just won't do.
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Posted By: mbro
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 11:14pm
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The private, catholic grade school I went to only had "hot lunch" on Wednesdays when I was growing up until it was expanded to Mondays and Wednesdays when I was in 5th grade. Unless it was pizza or KFC day my mom just made me a lunch however. After the point where it became twice a week my mom was back to work as a special ed instructor in a middle school and I was already packing my own lunch in the morning. It taught self reliance, healthy eating and frugality.
The fact that my mom stayed at home till I was able to take care of myself at the yountest age possible and taught me the skills to take care of myself as such a young age was by far the best things my parents ever taught me. You learn many valuable skills and lessons at that time that I can spot the flaws in people I know who didn't have the same experiences. ---- Back on original topic though: Your sister makes 45K a year and can't pay the lunch bill at her kids school? ---Sounds like your sis has issues. Also, yes it's a shame it's taken out on the kids but what other choice do they have when the kid is the end user? They can't exactly do much that other kids wouldn't notice. ------------- 
Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos. |
Posted By: stratoaxe
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 11:22pm
No, she had the money she just forgot to give it to them. Again, this was two days of back pay, not like fifty bucks. The balance says 5.25 in back due lunches. When the kids took the 2.75 or whatever to the lunch lady, instead of giving them their lunch she gave them peanut butter, or in my nephew's case dry cereal and told them that they still owed the other two bucks.
It's happened before, and again, as I've said over and over, I realize it was my sister's mistake for not giving the kids the lunch money, but that's not my issue, it's the way the school handled it that bothers me. My sister does have issues-it's raising 3 kids on her own, working full time as a nurse, and trying to give herself and her kids a good life. -------------
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Posted By: Frozen Balls
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 11:23pm
Oh I missed that. Wow. That should be enough unless she spends money all over the place. A year's worth of lunch should be like, $500. -------------
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Posted By: jerseypaint
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 11:27pm
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What kind of school doesn't provide adequate lunches for children who can't pay? That's just ludicrous. Even if they owe money, call the parent, don't starve the child. ------------- 
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Posted By: stratoaxe
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 11:34pm
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Constantly requoting myself aside-I feel sorry for you guys if you ever have children. 13.75 a week times 3 children is 41.25 a week. At around 25 school weeks (give or take, that's just an estimate) $1030 a year.
For one meal a day for roughly 5 days a week.
Now add in groceries for the other two meals a day plus weekends, clothing for each season, doctor's visits, medicines, glasses for some, braces for otheres, gas, car payment, insurance, water and electric, phone bills, school supplies, and that's just the basics. Then you have entertainment for kids, and an attempt to live some form of life of your own, and 45K is hardly enough. -------------
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Posted By: cdacda13
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 11:35pm
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Nobody said raising kids is easier or cheap. |
Posted By: choopie911
Date Posted: 18 February 2009 at 11:43pm
Is that also why you fear relationships? |
Posted By: PAINT&STUFF
Date Posted: 19 February 2009 at 12:03am
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My high school is full of rich kids, it drives me nuts... there parents buy them $18,500.00+ cars and the teachers treat me like ------------- PAINT&STUFF |
. some teachers are ok but most think i have spechial needs but i have O.C.D and A.D.D and ANOTHER THING BUT I DONT KNOW HOW TO SPELL IT.... thats not autistic but anyway schools just dont get it do they!?!?!?Posted By: PaiNTbALLfReNzY
Date Posted: 19 February 2009 at 8:40am
| Wow. I don't even know how to respond to the above post. |