Weird situation, I'm being guilt tripped into accepting "free meals"

[ctuser1]

I live in a mid sized (=few tens of thousands of people), relatively wealthy (=median household income in six figures, municipal tax revenue well over $100M/year) coastal town.

The school district decided last year that they will give out "free meals" for all students while the pandemic is going on. Normally, this applies to students from low income households and I never bothered about it. Recently, however, the  PTA and the cafeteria workers in the school district launched a campaign to recruit more parents to "accept" the free meals. Apparently, the cafeteria workers will be laid off if they can't show certain degree of activity. After a couple of "shouldn't you try to make sure that the cafeteria workers don't lose their jobs during these harsh times" phone calls from concerned PTA parents, I relented and now dutifully go once a week to collect my share of the "free meal".

The whole situation feels so weird! I appreciate that they cut our grocery budget in half. But it sure does feel odd to be guilt tripped into taking what amounts to "welfare". I initially thought we were specifically targeted because we live in one of the "poorer" streets in the town, but no! I've seen a bunch of Joneses from the "million dollar houses" part of the town also show up in the free food line in their Teslas.

Huh!

[Financial.Velociraptor]

Is this a private or charter school?  A public school should be on the federal school lunch program and get 2.70 per student per day (last I checked) regardless of income.  They get more for low income/at risk.  A well run school cafeteria program should be able to get by on that 2.70, since they are charging for the meals as well.  The math doesn't make any sense to me.

[ctuser1]

No, this is the system of public schools run by the city. It has a reputation for being a reasonably good school district.

Normally I load some money into the kid's "cafetaria account" every so often. They pay something every day for lunch, but I think the prices are subsidized by that $2.70 you speak of.

What changed during the COVID times is that they stopped charging altogether and give out a couple of bags of fruits/veggies and some pre-packaged stuff entirely for free without any consideration of household income.

[dandarc]

Is that a pandemic change? I thought reimbursement was based on income eligibility of students as detailed here: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-07-22/pdf/2020-15764.pdf

Looking at it, I think you could easily have an average reimbursement of $2.70. I do also know that there is some way that a whole school can be deemed eligible for free lunches if a large enough portion of students are income eligible.

[nessness]

My district is also giving out free meals to everyone, even kids who aren't school-age yet. I haven't taken advantage of it, partly because it feels weird to me, and partly because it's much quicker and easier to make my kids a PB&J then to load them into the car, drive a few miles to the closest pick up site, and wait in line. Also the meals are very trash-heavy.

But if someone tried to guilt trip me into it, I might relent and go pick up meals. I don't know what the right answer is here.

[Chris Pascale]

Is that a pandemic change? I thought reimbursement was based on income eligibility of students as detailed here: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-07-22/pdf/2020-15764.pdf

Looking at it, I think you could easily have an average reimbursement of $2.70. I do also know that there is some way that a whole school can be deemed eligible for free lunches if a large enough portion of students are income eligible.

]

My kids are in school 5 days a week, and I recently found out the lunches have been free when it occurred to me I haven't needed to replenish their accounts.

[nessness]

Is that a pandemic change?

Yes.

[jeninco]

Is that a pandemic change?

Yes.

Here too -- our school district isn't charging for breakfasts or lunches for (at least) the rest of this year. And they're giving out bags of foods to families with school-aged children, without regard to income.

However, my kid's currently only in school 2 days/week (HS is on a hybrid schedule) and hasn't yet shown any interest in what they're passing out.

[HPstache]

Is that a pandemic change?

Yes.

Here too -- our school district isn't charging for breakfasts or lunches for (at least) the rest of this year. And they're giving out bags of foods to families with school-aged children, without regard to income.

However, my kid's currently only in school 2 days/week (HS is on a hybrid schedule) and hasn't yet shown any interest in what they're passing out.

Same situation here.  We did if for a few months, definitely cut down on grocery budget!

[bacchi]

You could always donate the money saved to the school.

[mm1970]

Yeah, our school district is doing the same, but we haven't been bothering to get the food.

My grocery budget, therefore, has gone through the roof feeding two boys.

[MaybeBabyMustache]

Our district hasn't offered this, although many in our area have. If it was helpful for the reasons you outlined, I would pick up my meals, & then donate the money either to the school, a food bank, etc. We're in strange times, & I think everyone is trying to be flexible while planning for the future. Getting free meals feels like a small work item to keep people employed.

[Poundwise]

Enjoy the free meals. Donate money to food banks or the school district if you like!

My kids are now getting free lunch every day that they're in school, but they're only in school twice a week, so it ends up a wash for me because cooking lunch at home is more expensive and time consuming. We have been donating to the local food bank and even did a mini fundraiser.

[draco44]

Apparently, the cafeteria workers will be laid off if they can't show certain degree of activity.

This seems to be the crux of it. I understand it would feel like a weird situation for you. It sounds like this is part of some larger policy where the school's long-term budget will be reduced if they don't prove need now for current funding levels. It sounds similar to concerns I've heard where public schools worry about kids being pulled out into homeschooling or private schools leading to officials reducing their budget for future years, then them being in a bind later if the students come back and the school no longer has the resources to adequately accommodate them all.

I'm unclear on the details of what pressures may be affecting your school district, but if they are really pushing you that hard to accept the food, feel free to take it and donate the money you saved if you are so inclined.

[Cranky]

There is a lot of federal support that is tied to the percentage of kids who receive free lunch, so the school always has an interest in signing up as many people as possible.

[Sibley]

Are there other families in your district who are truly struggling? If so, perhaps you could pass off your free bag of food to them.

[ctuser1]

Are there other families in your district who are truly struggling? If so, perhaps you could pass off your free bag of food to them.

I'm sure there are poor people (I live in what passes for the "poorer" part of the town). But I very much doubt there is food insecurity level of poverty in our town. For that, we need to go to other bigger cities in CT - Bridgeport/Waterbury etc, or towards NYC (e.g. Bronx).

And even if we wanted to pass it along to someone else, it would be difficult given the lack of socialization during the COVID times.

I'm thinking this year we will probably put a bunch of extra money towards the holiday gifts for everyone. Generally we give something small (e.g. $10 starbucks GCs) to the people we come in direct contact with (postman, ups drivers, school teachers, school bus drivers etc = about 20/30 people every year). This year maybe we'll ask for the names of the cafeteria workers and add them to the list + pass along small gift cards and thank you notes to the grocery store clerks etc.

 

[fuzzy math]

Its a national USDA thing enacted by Trump. All breakfast / lunch is free through June. I'm going to be sad when it ends! My kid's school times are earlier than ever and I've gotten so used to not making their lunch.

[MayDay]

Its a national USDA thing enacted by Trump. All breakfast / lunch is free through June. I'm going to be sad when it ends! My kid's school times are earlier than ever and I've gotten so used to not making their lunch.

Just got coming to post this. Have all y'all been living under a rock?

We get them meals delivered once a week. It's nice because the kids can feed themselves while we are trying to work. Ours include for each kid every week, a carton of tomatoes, a cucumber, and a bag of baby carrots, as well as various snack foods and apples and oranges. We also get up to a gallon of milk per kid. It's a significant amount of food!

We also don't need it but it's one less hassle so I appreciate it. In our district they've also asked everyone to take it regardless of need as they are trying to keep cafeteria and bus employees in place so that if they suddenly need to open they have staff ready. Additionally they are asking wealthier families to help destigmatize accepting food assistance.