More students on free lunch program
The Lee County School District has seen an increase in the nuber of students who have been approved for the free and reduced school lunch program in the past few weeks as a result of a new alternative program
The district implemented the new lunch program on Jan. 3, due to approximately $2,000 being added to the district’s debt of lunch money not being paid.
“The school debt exploded,” said Wayne Nagy, food and nutrition services and warehouse operations director, adding that they began the program to get away from the “entitlement mentality.”
If a child has no lunch money, the school district will provide the child with a regular meal, but on the second day of not bringing money he or she will receive a low-fat cheese sandwich on 100 percent whole wheat bread, with juice.
The daily charges of debt dropped by 80 percent after the program began.
An additional 732 students signed up for free and reduced lunches within the first two weeks of applying the new alternative lunch program. Nagy said 68 percent of students in the district qualify for either free or reduced lunch. Those who qualified for reduced lunches pay 40 cents a day for their lunch.
Nagy explained that changing the normal plan really made a difference because more parents are aware of the free and reduced lunch program.
“Now we can assist more families,” he said, due to federal reimbursement the district receives for each meal.
Nagy said parents responded to the new program within the first two weeks because he and his staff reached out to through phone calls and letters when they owed money to the district for lunches. He explained that he collected the debt back by sending out “nice letters to let them know they have a debt we would like them to pay.”
“We give them the time,” Nagy said, adding that they contact parents nightly so the district can assure their child a regular meal.
Board member Don Armstrong said he did not believe a cheese sandwich was an adequate meal.
He said while visiting a school, he provided a student with enough money to pay for lunches for the next two weeks because it “broke his heart” to see the child without lunch.
“Some of these kids’ parents are too proud to come to the district and say they cannot afford lunch,” he said. “We can find some way to help these kids out a little better; a cheese sandwich is not going to cut it.”
Armstrong went on to explain that providing the students with an adequate meal during school really hits home, due to a personal experience.
He looked at board member Jeanne Dozier and asked her if she remembered the first time they met.
“That day you met me I was living under a bridge, so I know what it is like to go hungry,” Armstrong said. “I know how hard it is for these parents and these kids.”
“If we have one kid out there that is hungry, that is one too many,” he added.
Nagy assured Armstrong that they will always go the extra mile to make sure the child has something to eat.
“We are still taking care of all the students if the family needs the assistance,” Nagy said. “We are taking care of all the families who have a true need.”
Interim Superintendent Dr. Larry Tihen said the district is now down to less than two alternative lunches per day for students per school.
“You are down to very few students now that you can concentrate on,” he said. “That is a doable job.”
The school district also provides free breakfast to all students in the district through the Feed the Children Initiative due to economic and education reasons. Nagy explained that all the research shows that hunger affects the child’s health, behavior, self-esteem, attendance and academic achievement when they do not eat breakfast.
“All children have access to a nutritional breakfast at no charge,” Nagy said.
Nagy also touched upon the Healthy Living Lab that will visit 950 classrooms to educate kindergarten through 5th grade students about fresh fruit and vegetables, along with a sample taste.
The district is also utilizing local farmers by purchasing more than $1 million in fresh fruit and vegetables for the students of the district.
“We are putting the money out here in the community and we are helping them earn a living because we are pulling up strawberries from local farmers,” Nagy said. “We are doing everything we can to have a strong healthy program.”