The Virginian-Pilot
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PORTSMOUTH
The city's students will pay 10 cents more for lunch next school year, raising the price to $1.35 for full-paying students and to 40 cents for students who get reduced-price lunches.
The School Board unanimously approved the increase Monday night. It's intended to help the division begin satisfying the federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which aims, in part, to help divisions provide more nutritious meals.
The law requires those charging lunch prices of $1.60 to $2.45 to raise them by at least 5 cents next school year, though it allows for some flexibility.
Leaders in Portsmouth schools, which charge one of the lowest lunch prices in the state, have said the division should start raising the price now instead of later.
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higher lunch prices
My kids are suppose to pay for their lunch because I make enough money. But I applied for the free/reduced lunch because I am a single parent and sometimes I may not have the money to pay and I dont want my kids to eat a cheese sandwich. I dont get no type of assistance either. My point is this, the lunches are not worth any more money then what people pay now. A lot of the time my kids and a lot of other kids dont even eat the food. Instead of criticizing others how about you all apply and see if you can get the free lunch. I bet if you did get it you wouldnt be up here complaining.
Idea
Heres an idea, those that receive food stamps can pay for the lunches with their stamps. They can go onto the pay site provided on the PPS website and enter their EBT account number and it can be deducted from there. We have students that recieve free and reduced lunch yet if my child comes to school without money he is refused a lunch or given a nasty cheese sandwich while those that never pay get the best lunches. Oh, and must I also add that the lunches aren't that good anyway. French Fries everyday, chicken patties, hot dogs, hamburgers, etc. Where in the world is the healthy part coming in. Years ago they recieved honey buns every morning for breaskfeast. Now it's pop tarts and cearal.
i don't want to see kids go hungry also
But we can't afford to feed everyone either. I do know that some of these kids wouldn't get fed @all if it wasn't for breakfast & lunch @ school. That's so sad. But on the other hand, there has to be a way to get something back from the parent(s) whom needs the help. How about the parent(s) of the free or reduced lunch recipient volunteer @ the school. Come in early & help serve the meals & clean up afterwords. I know I don't have all the answers, but we have to start being responsible & more involved. We can & must do better @ setting the standard a little higher, higher expectations & rewards will come w/more involvment. I'm just glad P-Town didn't raise the property tax to pay for it, which is what I really expected.
You
say that kids wouldn't get fed at all were it not for school programs. If that is true, what are their mothers doing with the food stamps? Can they not heave themselves out of bed in the morning to make sure the fruit of their loins, the reason they have a free ride, gets breakfast and something to take to school for lunch?
the price of groceries
so if a meal can be made for 40 cents, everyone should be able to get it for that price. i am so tired of prices for goods being different depending on who you are. it sucks to work hard to provide for your family only to have others get the same things for free. if you dont have the $1.35 for the meal, bring a bag lunch. maybe it will give the kid the drive to realize those who work hard get more.
This is a difficult
gray area because do we, as a just and compassionate nation, feed children whose parents either refuse to feed them or are too incompetent to feed them, or do we let them go hungry? Too many jump on the wagon and want to punish the parents by punishing the children. Do I think parents should be held accountable? Yes. Just don't know how to hold them accountable. Maybe, if your child receives free meals at school you have that cost deducted from your food stamps account, but I do balk at letting children go hungry.