Schools in Central Missouri, along with the rest of the nation, have been struggling with how to deal with outstanding balances on school-provided meals.
Some schools have incurred an alarming amount of debt from parents who aren't paying for their kids' meals.
The Southern Boone school district has amassed about $30,000 in debt from outstanding meal balances. That money would go a long way toward funding another teacher for a year. Some individual families have debts of $3,000-$5,000 at the district.
Such school meal debt has amassed despite increases in federal free and reduced lunch programs. Families now can earn almost twice the amount the federal government considers "poverty" and still qualify for reduced meals.
The United States Department of Agriculture, which administers the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program through its Food and Nutrition Service office, has asked districts not to "food shame" students. They've also asked districts to collect the debts.
So what will school districts do? The USDA has required districts to answer that question by submitting written policies to the federal agency.
Some districts are taking a more hard-line approach than others. Many send emails when meal balances get low or into debt. After that, students often are given alternate meals, such as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, until the meal balance is paid. Some schools yank student parking/activity privileges, threaten to withhold report cards or even diplomas. Others threaten referring families to collection agencies.
We encourage schools to be aggressive in collecting the debts. Serving peanut butter and jelly sandwiches - rather than a corn dog or taco - is neither lunch shaming or cruel. And it might even be healthier.
In some cases, it's the parents who need to be shamed. It's understandable that many families can't afford school lunches at around $3 a day. But rather than rack up a school lunch debt, pack a lunch for your children each morning for a fraction of the cost.
Fortunately, Mid-Missouri schools and their employees are compassionate to the students they serve. We believe Blair Oaks Superintendent Jim Jones speaks not just for his district, but all districts, when he said in a Sunday story that, regardless of other circumstances: "Nobody goes without lunch."