Last week The Inquirer reported on how various school districts in the region have been dealing with the problem of kids who do not have enough money to buy lunch.
The Inquirer spoke to Lower Merion School District Spokesperson Amy Buckman.
Also using donations is the Lower Merion School District in Montgomery County, which — besides asking parents to pay their children’s bills — gives families a choice of donating leftover lunch funds to cover other students’ balances, according to spokesperson Amy Buckman. Lower Merion has seen an increase in negative balances in recent years, Buckman said, though she did not specify the amount.
In July, the controversy about “lunch shaming” broke wide open after the Wyoming Valley West School District sent letters warning parents that they “can be sent to dependency court for neglecting your child’s right to food.”
Todd Carmichael, chief executive and co-founder of Philadelphia-based La Colombe Coffee, offered to give Wyoming Valley West School District $22,000, effectively paying the amount that was owed to the district by the parents who received the threatening letters. Wyoming Valley West School District intitially refused his offer.
A few days later, officials at the school district had a change of heart and issued an apology letter.
In 2017, bills that would have banned the practice of “lunch shaming” were introduced in the Pennsylvania House and the Pennsylvania Sentate. The bills were referred to the Eduction Committees in both The House and the The Senate, but were never acted upon.