Critics call out another metro school district’s policy for students who can’t afford school meals

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — Student meal debt is in the spotlight after critics began questioning how districts deal with the dilemma of feeding students who have not paid for the food.

Some parents of Cherokee County School District students are concerned about the new process students must undergo if they can’t pay off lunch debt.

The principal noted the procedure change in this week’s newsletter.

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The following is what was sent to parents in the letter:

“NEW Procedure: Students who wish to charge a lunch will need to visit the teacher on duty near the stage in the café to get a charge slip. They will turn this into the cafe worker to complete their charge and get their food.”

“Students with outstanding lunchroom debts may not be able to purchase parking passes or participate in certain events and/or ceremonies if lunch debts are not cleared.”

“I just think it’s kind of cruel, and it’s setting kids up to be bullied and picked on,” said parent Alecia Kilgore.

Kilgore’s children attend schools across the district, and she said she’s been in the lunchroom this year when children have been treated differently due to the debts.

“I don’t think they should be taking it out on the kids. I mean, the kids, it’s not their fault,” said Kilgore.

A district spokesperson told Channel 2 Action News that students are not being punished.

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“The school expects parents to pay meal debt first before they pay for optional fee-based activities such as parking passes,” school officials said.

The district said all Cherokee High School students who want breakfast or lunch receive the regular meal of their choice, even if their meal payment account is overdrawn.

In response to the charge slip line at the stage, the district wrote, “The table to get this pass originally was next to the stage, but since has been moved closer to the serving line to make the process quicker.”

The district explained that the dilemma for schools is that property taxes do not pay for the food schools buy. Students and their families must pay for it, or federal taxes fund it through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s free or reduced meal program.

Students whose families do not qualify for that financially owe the district $70,000 for food.

So, this new procedure aims to recoup some of that.

“That should be taken up with the parents,” said Kilgore.

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A district spokesperson said staff e-mail, text and call parents when the student’s food money account runs low.

Some districts, like City Schools of Decatur, announced this month that students will be offered cheese sandwiches and milk to try to bring down nearly $90,000 in food debt.

That has since been wiped clean after private and corporate donations and grants.

Several local businesses have stepped up to help Rockdale County students clear debt.

Evolution Cars plans to present a check totaling more than $7,600 to erase the kids’ balances there.

The owner, Chad Fry, graduated from Heritage High School.

Cherokee County School District said there is a form online if the community can help the students who have food debt there.

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