CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — Student meal debt is in the spotlight after critics began questioning how districts deal with the dilemma of feeding students who have not paid for the food.
Some parents of Cherokee County School District students are concerned about the new process students must undergo if they can’t pay off lunch debt.
The principal noted the procedure change in this week’s newsletter:
“NEW Procedure: Students who wish to charge a lunch will need to visit the teacher on duty near the stage in the café to get a charge slip. They will turn this into the cafe worker to complete their charge and get their food.”
“Students with outstanding lunchroom debts may not be able to purchase parking passes or participate in certain events and/or ceremonies if lunch debts are not cleared.”
“I just think it’s kind of cruel, and it’s setting kids up to be bullied and picked on,” said parent Alecia Kilgore.
Kilgore’s children attend schools across the district, and she said she’s been in the lunchroom this year when children have been treated differently due to the debts.