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Morality vs. Beaurocracy
Last year Big O qualified for Reduced Lunch. The best part about that was the free tutor who loved working with O as additional training, not remedial. This year we applied for the reduced lunch again but were denied because we made *just* over the limit to qualify.
A few weeks after school started, we got the tutoring packet again. I thought maybe they'd changed their mind and not told us, so I filled out the application and requested the same tutor. A few weeks after that I got a letter saying we didn't qualify for the tutoring service. I called to ask why I'd gotten the letter saying we'd been approved for the tutoring again, and the woman who answered said it must have been a mistake.
Two weeks ago I noticed Big O's lunch balance was exactly the same as it was in November. I talked to the school lunch person, thinking maybe O was giving the wrong PIN number and some other kid had been paying for her lunches, but no, O was giving the right number. Further investigation showed O was popping up as being on free lunch. Explains the tutoring application, at least. I told the cafeteria manager she wasn't on free lunch, that we applied and were denied, and she said "well, the county tell me you're on free lunch, so she's getting free lunch. I'd just keep quiet if I were you."
Well, we're not like that, because that's less money for spending on a kid who really *does* need it.. I called the county to see what's gone wrong, and they say according to their files O is not on either free or reduced lunch, and they have no idea why the school's getting the information that she is. Since the problem's not on their end, there's nothing for them to fix. The cafeteria manager again said the problem's not on her end, so there's nothing to fix.
I don't send O to buy lunch very often, maybe once a week, but this week she's been buying every day because Hubby's out of town and I don't have time in the morning to pack unless I get up at 4 am. No way. What would you do?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by kanachick on -
I think you tried to do the right thing and if they won't help you then enjoy the free tatertots. I'd ask each area to give you some kind of documentation saying that you tried to get this fixed but no one would help you though...just in case somewhere down the line someone higher up finds out and wants you to cough up all the money for the lunches.
You guys and your school lunches, I don't think I'll ever get used to it.
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Permalink Reply by hotmama on -
I have seen the lunch servers in the school where I teach take food from a kid and throw it away if the kid didn't have enough money to pay. They throw it out rather than let a kid who is short $0.50 eat a sloppy-fricking-joe. Also, I know for a fact that there are leftovers every day that get thrown out as well because of laws and regulations about food service and safety.
Knowing these things, I say send her with the money (maybe they can add it to her account and she'll have extra money for a cookie or another extra) in case the lunchroom catches up with paperwork and let her eat the free tots... it's not like you didn't try. It isn't a case of other kids going hungry if she gets a free lunch... don't feel too bad about it.
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Permalink Reply by Mamawho on
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It's a federal program, so document that you've tried to correct it in case you get a nasty-gram from the USDA.
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Permalink Reply by TommysMommy on -
Yeah, I think you've done everything you can to fix it. Can you send emails/letters to document? You just don't want a bill in June when the computer finally figures out that it's wrong. Sounds like there is a secondary database somewhere that no one knows about!
As you said, you don't send her for lunch very often and as long as there is money there so she can pay if she needs to, you've done your moral duty.
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Permalink Reply by ks on -
That is messed up.
There have been times when N buys and I've sent him with not enough money because I wasn't paying attention or he's lost a quarter or something stupid like that. The lunch ladies always, always give him the food and I make up the difference the next time I'm in the building (I volunteer there at least once a week, so it isn't like they have to run a tab for very long) or N will tell me the next time he wants to buy lunch that he needs an extra however much. But I know of at least a few kids who are regularly short a few dimes here and there and whose parents don't pay up. Those kids still get their lunch. It can't be legal (and it certainly isn't right) to take the food away from the kids who can't pay or are short for whatever reason.
hotmama said:
I have seen the lunch servers in the school where I teach take food from a kid and throw it away if the kid didn't have enough money to pay. They throw it out rather than let a kid who is short $0.50 eat a sloppy-fricking-joe. Also, I know for a fact that there are leftovers every day that get thrown out as well because of laws and regulations about food service and safety.
Knowing these things, I say send her with the money (maybe they can add it to her account and she'll have extra money for a cookie or another extra) in case the lunchroom catches up with paperwork and let her eat the free tots... it's not like you didn't try. It isn't a case of other kids going hungry if she gets a free lunch... don't feel too bad about it.
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Permalink Reply by wookie on -
What. The Fuck. Seriously? They would throw food out and make a kid go hungry? What kind of sense does that make?
On a completely unrelated note, not having the option to have kids buy lunch, I've been packing lunches every day for 5 years. We leave the house at 7am and wake up at 6. I don't want to be rude, but what about the average morning routine makes packing a lunch for kids challenging? It must be something because so many people view it as extremely difficult. Do most people have worse commutes than I do?
hotmama said:I have seen the lunch servers in the school where I teach take food from a kid and throw it away if the kid didn't have enough money to pay. They throw it out rather than let a kid who is short $0.50 eat a sloppy-fricking-joe. Also, I know for a fact that there are leftovers every day that get thrown out as well because of laws and regulations about food service and safety.
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Permalink Reply by hotmama on
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Wookie- it doesn't make any fraking sense at all!!! I am pretty sure it is a power thing... also it is a high school so these folks get on a "these kids are almost out on their own and they need to learn" kick. It is awful, and along with other teachers, I have given kids money to buy lunch on the days that the lunchroom staff is busy teaching hard life lessons to hungry teens.
wookie said:
What. The Fuck. Seriously? They would throw food out and make a kid go hungry? What kind of sense does that make?
On a completely unrelated note, not having the option to have kids buy lunch, I've been packing lunches every day for 5 years. We leave the house at 7am and wake up at 6. I don't want to be rude, but what about the average morning routine makes packing a lunch for kids challenging? It must be something because so many people view it as extremely difficult. Do most people have worse commutes than I do?
hotmama said:I have seen the lunch servers in the school where I teach take food from a kid and throw it away if the kid didn't have enough money to pay. They throw it out rather than let a kid who is short $0.50 eat a sloppy-fricking-joe. Also, I know for a fact that there are leftovers every day that get thrown out as well because of laws and regulations about food service and safety.
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Permalink Reply by Kiwi on -
I don't get packing lunches and bags in the morning.
In Casa de Kiwi backpacks are prepped for the next day by the kids before they get ready for bed. As much of the lunches that can be done the night before are done.
For me it's two fold - No matter the time of day I abhor scrambling around to make sure everything is where it should be (when I was a kid I lived a life full of last minute scrambles and I just refuse to deal with it now). And most importantly, I like to sleep to the last possible minute in the morning and pre-packing totally helps me make that happen.
wookie said:On a completely unrelated note, not having the option to have kids buy lunch, I've been packing lunches every day for 5 years. We leave the house at 7am and wake up at 6. I don't want to be rude, but what about the average morning routine makes packing a lunch for kids challenging? It must be something because so many people view it as extremely difficult. Do most people have worse commutes than I do?
hotmama said:I have seen the lunch servers in the school where I teach take food from a kid and throw it away if the kid didn't have enough money to pay. They throw it out rather than let a kid who is short $0.50 eat a sloppy-fricking-joe. Also, I know for a fact that there are leftovers every day that get thrown out as well because of laws and regulations about food service and safety.
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Permalink Reply by Herasmus B. Dragon on
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Please don't say things like that. Some parents have a lot tougher time fitting everything they need to do into the 24 hours in the day, and reading things like that make me extremely defensive about my choices.
On an average morning, it's no trouble at all for me to fix a lunch, which is why I only realized two weeks ago that I've not had to refill her lunch account from the $20 that was in there in November. But when, like this week, my husband is traveling and I play single working mom, I DO have to choose to drop some things like packing a nutritious, properly-portioned meal in favor of a school-provided one. Between work, The Girl That Won't Sleep, laundry, shopping, chauffeuring, cooking, cleaning, and ironing work clothes, I'm lucky to get 5 hours of sleep a night. And yes, I lose about 2 hours a day to my commute, and that's on the days when I can actually get out of the office on time. I'll be lucky to get to bed by midnight tonight, and my alarm's set for 4:45 am.
Some people live this life every day, not just when the spouse is away temporarily. It's those moms who really need the free/reduced lunches for which we don't qualify and should not be receiving.
wookie said:
On a completely unrelated note, not having the option to have kids buy lunch, I've been packing lunches every day for 5 years. We leave the house at 7am and wake up at 6. I don't want to be rude, but what about the average morning routine makes packing a lunch for kids challenging? It must be something because so many people view it as extremely difficult. Do most people have worse commutes than I do?
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Permalink Reply by kanachick on
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But culturally you're used to having that School Lunch there as a back up. There's nothing like that in Canada (in Ontario at least) at the elementary level so everyone puts "packing the lunch" into the must do column in the morning. It's just a different way of coming at the morning when you don't have the back up of a cafeteria system.
I used to let the kids buy their lunches once a week as a treat when we lived in Texas but they said it was so awful that it wasn't much of a treat and wanted the sandwiches and juice boxes from home.
Herasmus B. Dragon said:Please don't say things like that. Some parents have a lot tougher time fitting everything they need to do into the 24 hours in the day, and reading things like that make me extremely defensive about my choices.
On an average morning, it's no trouble at all for me to fix a lunch, which is why I only realized two weeks ago that I've not had to refill her lunch account from the $20 that was in there in November. But when, like this week, my husband is traveling and I play single working mom, I DO have to choose to drop some things like packing a nutritious, properly-portioned meal in favor of a school-provided one. Between work, The Girl That Won't Sleep, laundry, shopping, chauffeuring, cooking, cleaning, and ironing work clothes, I'm lucky to get 5 hours of sleep a night. And yes, I lose about 2 hours a day to my commute, and that's on the days when I can actually get out of the office on time. I'll be lucky to get to bed by midnight tonight, and my alarm's set for 4:45 am.
Some people live this life every day, not just when the spouse is away temporarily. It's those moms who really need the free/reduced lunches for which we don't qualify and should not be receiving.
wookie said:
On a completely unrelated note, not having the option to have kids buy lunch, I've been packing lunches every day for 5 years. We leave the house at 7am and wake up at 6. I don't want to be rude, but what about the average morning routine makes packing a lunch for kids challenging? It must be something because so many people view it as extremely difficult. Do most people have worse commutes than I do?
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Permalink Reply by wookie on
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HMB, I understand why what I said made you feel defensive. And I am sorry that I made you feel that way.
I approach this topic with some skepticisim because as kana points out, I have never, ever in my life, nor do I know anyone who does not pack a lunch every single morning (I pack 4, plus breakfast for myself. I pay for morning daycare and breakfast is part of that). You pack the lunch or your kid doesn't eat, period end of sentence. The idea that there is a federal mandate to provide food for any child on school premises is supremely bizarre to me.
It sounds like your commute is pretty hideous. Whatever methods work for you to get through that morning rush, more power to you. Kiwi has hit on one that works for her, I shower at night and pack lunch in the morning. And my house looks like a bomb hit it.
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The sad part is that for a lot of American kids, the school meal is the only food they get. I read a heart-wrenching story about kids who fail on purpose to have to go to summer school, because without it, they'd go hungry for 3 months.
No hard feelings.
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