Kids go hungry. Privatization FTW!

[bannination]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/05/us/massac ... ?hpt=hp_t2

(CNN) -- Sorry, kid. No money, no lunch.

[O Really]

Since the story blew up, the person responsible has been sacked, and making them throw out the food was ludicrous. But look - this happens in a lot of schools. The parents are supposed to fund an account, and they get behind. The schools keep serving the kids anyway for a while, but what are they supposed to do? How else can they collect other than to refuse service? And why is the school the bad guy here? What kind of parent doesn't send lunch money or pay their account for so long the kid gets cut off?

[bannination]

Since the story blew up, the person responsible has been sacked, and making them throw out the food was ludicrous. But look - this happens in a lot of schools. The parents are supposed to fund an account, and they get behind. The schools keep serving the kids anyway for a while, but what are they supposed to do? How else can they collect other than to refuse service? And why is the school the bad guy here? What kind of parent doesn't send lunch money or pay their account for so long the kid gets cut off?

All valid points, and normally I'd agree, however, over 5 cents? They could have served the food, went after the parents and still made a profit.

If it was a habitual thing and students weren't paying for their lunches at all.... well that's different.

[O Really]

It is different. At least in general, although I don't know about this particular school. Parents get way behind, and the kids still keep getting served. At some point, the food service pulls the plug. As I see it, it isn't the schools' job to provide free food outside the free-lunch program, which is "free" only to the kids, but is really paid by the feds/state. It is the parents' job to provide for their kids lunch, whether by funding the account, giving them lunch money, or packing a lunch for them.