Oct 14, 2016 3 min read

Administrators in Canon-McMillan School District on Thursday reviewed a revised lunch policy that addresses handling meals when students have insufficient funds in their lunch accounts.

The school district’s lunch policy came under fire in September after a cafeteria worker quit because she said she was instructed to take away a student’s lunch.

Assistant Superintendent Scott Chambers said the revisions, which will be voted on at the Oct. 20 school board meeting, “clear up any loose ends and tighten up the policy.”

“The main thing is that we want to ensure that students get the appropriate lunch and we don’t exchange or remove food from kids. There won’t be any exchange of a meal once it’s in a kid’s hands,” said Chambers.

Former Wylandville cafeteria worker Stacy Koltiska said she quit over the policy that calls for paid lunch students in kindergarten through sixth grade to receive an alternate cold cut-style lunch if their lunch account falls $25 or more behind.

Koltiska said she was forced by her supervisor to exchange a hot meal for a cheese sandwich and throw the hot meal away.

Administrators contend events did not occur the way Koltiska described but said the incident provided an opportunity to refine the district’s lunch debt policies.

No student on free or reduced lunch has ever been denied a main lunch option.

The new policy language changes the grades in which students are able to charge an alternate lunch. After overdrawing the cafeteria accounty by $25, students in kindergarten through eighth grade will be able to charge an alternate lunch. Students in grades nine through 12 will not be allowed to charge any additional lunches. The current policy permits students in kindergarten through sixth grade to charge an alternate lunch, while students in grades seven through 12 cannot.

During the last week of school, the food service department will send final obligation notices to parents or guardians.

In addition, the policy clarifies that students whose families establish repayment plans for accounts in arrears, and remain in good standing, will continue to receive a main lunch option. Failure to make timely payments will affect the lunch options available to those students.

The state director for the child nutrition program said in September that the district’s cafeteria meal policy is well thought out and executed.

According to the policy, students, parents and guardians are notified about the policy and district procedures annually.

In another matter, the Thursday school board meeting will be held at Canon-McMillan High School at 7 p.m. to discuss the closures of Cecil and First Street elementary schools. The schools are closing because of the construction of a new Muse Elementary School.