School board has cafeteria concerns on their menu
By Carla Gwaltney Owens

The Clay County School Board discussed solutions to the lingering problem of students who do not have money to payfor lunch at school. Board members are concerned for those students who do not have money to pay for lunch and are eligible to receive free or reduced lunch under the federal lunch program.

Anew policy was passed upon final reading at Thursday's school board meeting, which allows students at the middle school to charge up to three meals to their lunch account before being sent to the principal's office to borrow money from a special account that has been set-up with donations from individuals in the community. This has been done in an effort to make sure no child goes with out eating lunch.

According to Superintendent Scotty Penland, there is a need for assistance from parents of students who are eligible for free or reduced lunch to apply for the assistance. Penland said that many students who are eligible for the federal lunch program which provides students lunch either free or at a reduced price do not receive the service because parents simply do not fill out the proper forms. "If there is a need at all, we encourage parents to fill out the form," Penland commented. "We want everyone to eat. The form is very simple and we can help parents fill it out." Penland said that apply for free or reduced lunch is not as difficult as many might think. Parents can simply stop by the school office and ask the principal for the form. Parents must simply provide income amounts and a signature.

"It's a fast process. If a parent gets laid off or losses a job, the staff or principals will help fill out the form.

And often we can get it processed and set-up the same day," Penland said, adding that the school will help in any way they can to ensure students have lunch.

Penland continued to explain that it helps not only the student, who will receive lunch and not have to worry about having money to pay for it, but that it also helps the schools' lunch program because of the money they will then receive from the federal government to help subsidize the school's lunch program.

According to Penland, the school receives more money for a free or reduced meal than they do from a paying student, making it advantageous for the school for parents to apply for the free or reduced meal program if eligible.

School Board Vice- Chairman Charles Penland asked that parents and students be made aware of the critical need for forms to be completed as it directly impacts the school's nutrition program. Penland pointed out that because the

system fell below the 50% rate of students who receive free or reduced lunch the school lost the federal summer nutrition program which funds summer meals at the cafeteria. Under the federal program, any child in the county can eat lunch at the school cafeteria during the summer. Last summer the school was not able to provide this service for the county's children because they did not have enough children receiving free or reduced lunch.

The board questioned middle school principal Mickey Noe about the number of students

at his school who go with out lunch because they do not have money to pay for lunch but could receive free lunch if their parents would simply fill out the forms.

Noe told board members that this is definitely an issue at the school where many students go without lunch because parents cannot or do not give them lunch money, but the student is eligible for free lunch. Students come up with all kinds of reasons they are not eating, Noe continued, in order to escape the embarrassment of telling someone they don't have money for lunch. Noe said that he, the teachers and other middle school administrators try to police the situation and keep up with who is not eating lunch to help insure no student is going hungry.

Noe went on to explain that there are students he knows would receive free lunch if parents would simply return the forms. He added that he has personally called parents and asked for them to simply come by and sign the paper work but they never come.

School Board Chairman Jane Hindsman commented that this might be a situation for the Department of Social Services, adding that a child going without lunch because of the neglect of a parent to simply fill out a form mad her angry.

Charles Penland asked if there were not some way to help educate students and parents about the need to fill out the forms so that the school would receive the federal money which the student and school are eligible for - helping the school's nutrition program receive more money from the federal government.

The problem is also present at the elementary school, where Principal Matt Rogers said one student currently owe's $90 and the parents have been contacted several times. The elementary school policy allows for students to charge

lunches to insure that the students do not go hungry.

The principal's office is responsible for collecting money from students who charge.

"We get more money when we have more on free and reduced lunches," Penland stressed. "We need everyone to fill out the form. It helps not only the child and the family, but it also helps the school. Parents need to understand that this is very important."

The school board was in unanimous agreement that something needs to be done for these children who are going without lunch and are eligible for free lunch. The board asked that an effort be made to educate parents about the importance of returning the free/reduced lunch forms, adding that some families with several children may be eligible for the program and not know it. By making sure everyone fills out the form, board members said each and every child that is eligible for the federal program would receive the assistance they are eligible for.

"We need to try to address this problem the best we can," Hindsman commented, "and then hope the parents come up with their part."

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