Lunches seized from kids in debt at Salt Lake City elementary

Lunches seized from kids in debt at Salt Lake City elementary

Up to 40 kids at Uintah Elementary in Salt Lake City picked up their lunches Tuesday, then watched as the meals were taken and thrown away because of outstanding balances on their accounts — a move that shocked and angered parents.

But cafeteria workers weren’t able to see which children owed money until they had already received lunches, Olsen explained.

The workers then took those lunches from the students and threw them away, he said, because once food is served to one student it can’t be served to another.

Children whose lunches were taken were given milk and fruit instead.

This is absolutely ridiculous. And the debate is not about providing lunches, or whether kids with outstanding balances should be able to eat, it's about the absolute nonsensical action of the cafeteria workers. The kids ALREADY had the food. The food could NOT be re-served to another student, but it was subsequently taken and thrown away. It was WASTED, when it could have been eaten by the students to whom it was served. It makes NO sense to simply waste the food to make a stupid point that the kids probably don't even understand anyway, and were likely embarrassed and ashamed. It's not their fault there is a debt. Let them eat the meal INSTEAD OF IT going to WASTE, and send notes home to the parents. What the hell is this about, anyway? It's simply ridiculous and not right.

However, after further investigation, Olsen released an updated statement that was also posted to the district’s Facebook page. It said: "This situation could have and should have been handled in a different manner. We apologize."

Why would they EVEN CONSIDER taking the lunches and throwing them away and wasting food?

These people are idiots.

reply to post by Liquesence


Oh those poor kids! How awful.
As if school isn't hard enough, now they have just been shamed in front of their peers.
Did any of those child-loving adults in positions of authority think of that?
No. They thought about money.
Sheesh.
S&F for you, OP....for the school staff involved? a flaming seat in Hell!!!

jacygirl

reply to post by Liquesence

Not to mention the sheer emotional damage of supplying them food, then taking it away. That was simply very cruel. Very cruel and inhumane. It was almost taunting them, and as you pointed out, it could, in no way be understood by the children, except to cause them shame, embarrassment, and taunting them with food then likely having them able to see it being thrown in the garbage.

Can you imagine how it made those children feel? How insubstantial they must have felt, on top of all that, the shame and embarrassment that likely led to bullying and teasing.

Great. Great way to point out financially compromised students for others to pick on for being disadvantaged?


Simply disgusting.

Madness!

Simple answer is to home school. Dont get none of that nonsense at home.

And big government saves the day again.

Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!
< end sarcasm>

reply to post by Liquesence


total d.i.c.k move

reply to post by Liquesence


Apparently the story has gone viral and the school administration is offering apologies.




www.startribune.com...

To late the damage is done!!

reply to post by Liquesence


Shouldn't something like this be paid for by the Free Lunch Program? I am assuming that they are not poor, but a child doesn't understand a negative balance? I agree with OP, come on man!

wu

jacygirl
reply to post by Liquesence

 

As if school isn't hard enough, now they have just been shamed in front of their peers.
Did any of those child-loving adults in positions of authority think of that?
No. They thought about money.
Sheesh.
S&F for you, OP....for the school staff involved? a flaming seat in Hell!!!

jacygirl

They absolutely thought about that. As a matter of fact, I would bet they were counting on that fact alone to get their money. Shame the kids... kids tell the parents... parents pay (quickly if possible) to try to prevent it from happening again.

It is terrible and I find it hard to believe they could find no other way to figure out who was paid up and who wasn't. The backlash that will come off of this will be hotter than they factored in, I am sure.

No child should suffer because their parents can't pay, refuse to pay, or are just too sorry to pay. It's not the student's fault regardless.

I grew up in Salt Lake City, which is Granite School District.
If I didn't have enough money for a lunch, they nice ladies that worked in the cafeteria would give me one anyways.
I never saw anything like this in my school district, in fact we would get in trouble for wasting food or throwing it away.
I would never expect an elementary school to take away a child's lunch like that. What really blows me away is the fact that they threw it away.
Apparently the garbage deserves that lunch more than the kids.
Ridiculous.

I suspect this is more indoctrination policy being implemented. Obey. Follow the rules. Pay your bills or else.

Can't be having independent thinkers roaming around the US all out of control.

I would have to go digging, but didn't this happen a while ago, at another school?
You would think these people would have learned from the outpouring from that event.

How rotten do you really have to be?

ScientiaFortisDefendit
I suspect this is more indoctrination policy being implemented. Obey. Follow the rules. Pay your bills or else.

Can't be having independent thinkers roaming around the US all out of control.

Normally I'd agree, but this was not school admin making the decision, apparently, but cafeteria workers (unless they were told to by the admin). Plus, these are elementary school kids and probably have little understanding of the concept of debt. It's simple humiliation.

Of course, an argument could be made that indoctrination must start at an early age...

reply to post by Kangaruex4Ewe


Hey Kangaruex4Ewe!
For years I was a mom-volunteer at my kids' school, and I've done a LOT of 'hot lunch' days. No, it wasn't a cafeteria, but it WAS a kinder gentler day.
We parents would fund-raise for the money to purchase the food for 'hot dog' or 'pizza' days at the school. The kids ordered ahead of time, and sent in small payments. Kids who didn't order, were 'mostly assumed' to not be able to afford it, unless health or other reasons were discussed by the parents.
We always cooked enough for everybody. The kids who couldn't afford but WANTED a hot dog, they got one. They all knew that we would take care of them....and we did. We had a wonderful relationship back then.
Funny thing....it wasn't really that long ago. After reading this and seeing how society is changing....it feels like a hundred years ago.

jacygirl

40 kids having lunch taken away equals a lot of uncaring parents. The parents have a role in this too...they should have taken care of their kid and paid their bill. ...I blame the parents.

When I first heard about this, yes it was horrifying, but then again having time to reflect the following can be stated:

While it is a terrible thing to do to a child, that they have to have the food taken away, who is at fault for this entire incident, if you look at the situation and facts that have occurred? The parents, ultimately are at fault and here is how I came to that conclusion and the facts:

Students came in, got lunch, then as they checked out, it was discovered that they had a negative balance on their books, and the lunch that was provided was taken away, given an alternate more embarrassing lunch and the parents are all upset.

But then again, this is only half of the story as it stands and chances are what is not being stated was the number of times that notices were sent home to the parents, or mailed to inform the parents that the childs account was at a negative amount, that if they did not put more money on the childs books that the child would not be eligible or able to get a hot lunch. The employees would not know who all is eligible for such until it is rung up. And if the parents are choosing to ignore the notices or the students are not bringing home the notices to the parents, then there is a problem with the communication issue that should be resolved.

As sad as it is, the fault lies there, not in the policies, as most food services departments are working with strict policies and the schools often use the food services as a cash cow to short change them. The lesson is to keep track of the childs accounts and make sure that it remains on the positive balance, and that they do not ignore the notices that come in. And if the family is hurting financially, they should be able to get on the free and reduce lunch program, but it means going in, filling out the paperwork and providing the proof of such. What many people do not realize, that showing proof of receiving food stamps means that the child is automatically eligible for the free lunch program, which in turn helps out the school and district with grants and other programs offered by the state and federal levels of government.

reply to post by Liquesence


I saw this on another site and it pissed me off.

So they are punishing kids for being poor? WTF kind of world do we live in?!

What a waste. So because they couldn't give the perfectly good food to someone else they would rather toss it than give it to the child that needs it? What kind of insane logic is that?!

I got free lunch in school and then reduced lunch later on. My mom made our lunch some days but others we had to have school lunch. If we didn't have money for lunch they gave it to us anyway! NOBODY went without a meal no matter what their money situation was.

Those food workers obviously have no heart or no kids to be able to take perfectly good lunches from kids just because of their money situation.

If I lived near this school I'd bring those kids lunch myself or pay for their lunches for the year. No kid should go hungry.

olaru12
Apparently the story has gone viral and the school administration is offering apologies.

They should be offering their own resignations.
Taking food from the kids pffft..



Feed the kids and deal with the bill with the parents/guardians later.

Pathetic.

reply to post by sdcigarpig


The point is that food was WASTED. There is NO logical reason for THAT.

Let the damned kids eat it instead of it going to waste. That's the point.

Plus, it's not the kids' fault the parents are in debt.

Could have been handled better but, what are the parents thinking? It's their job to make sure their child eats. How come they didn't pack them a lunch or give them money? How come the parents didn't contact the school and arrange something? Parents don't want any responsibility these days. There is a school lunch program for anyone that is poor. Heck they will even give them free breakfast. This is the parents fault not the schools. Being poor has nothing to do with this.