Canon-McMillan officials mulling lunch policy tweaks
Wylandville Elementary School in Eighty Four
Data shared by Canon-McMillan business manager Jodi Mansmann showed a sharp reduction in food service debts owed to the district since August, which Mansmann said is important because districts will not be allowed to write off food debts after 2017.
Administrators in Canon-McMillan School District weighed in Wednesday during a policy committee meeting, saying more can be done to clarify and apply school lunch policies following a media firestorm over a cafeteria worker who quit because she said she had to take away a student’s lunch.
Stacy Koltiska shared in a viral Facebook post she quit over the policy that says paid lunch students in kindergarten through sixth grade receive an alternate cold cut-style lunch if their account is $25 or more in arrears. When she allegedly was forced by her supervisor to exchange a hot meal for a cheese sandwich and threw the hot meal away, she resigned. Administrators maintain the version of events described by Koltiska did not transpire as reported, but the situation presented an opportunity to further refine the district’s lunch debt policies.
“We knew there would be some growing pains when we implemented this policy to reduce debts. Even though the incident did not occur, that scenario could occur,” said business manager Joni Mansmann.
In data shared with the policy committee, the number of parents who owed $25 or more to the school district fell from 302 to 54 since August. Mansmann said the implementation of this policy was crucial because after 2017, school districts will not be allowed to write off food debts. The school board recently voted to take a loss and pay $20,000 in lunch debts.
The state director for the child nutrition program, Vonda Cooke, said the district’s policy is well thought out and executed, but more could be done to ensure parents and students are aware.
“We’re thinking of a hybrid information approach with both letters and our electronic alert system to notify parents if they are in arrears. … There is also a suggestion to flip-flop the register to the front, but there are auditing rules that prevent us from doing that yet. And even if so, it would have the effect of singling out a free or reduced student,” Mansmann said.
Though not in the policy, the “alternate meal” not being a regular menu choice – like a cheese, or soy butter and jelly sandwich – stigmatizes students who receive the meal, according to two elementary and middle school principals in attendance. They said elementary students pick their lunch choice at the beginning of the day, so if a child is unaware his or her parents owe money, it could result in an embarrassing denial in the meal line. Making alternative meals regular choices and revising how elementary students elect their lunches were suggestions ahead of the Oct. 13 agenda meeting. The board will vote on any policy amendments Oct. 20, according to Superintendent Michael Daniels.
“Regardless if it’s a reduced lunch, free or paid student, there should be no exchange of a meal once it’s in a kids hands. That’s not a policy thing, it’s procedural and training, and that has to be the way it is moving forward,” said Assistant Superintendent Scott Chambers.
But certain policy language does need to be clarified, according to curriculum director Grace Lani.
“Even though far up in the policy it says no free or reduced-lunch student would be denied a hot meal, there’s unclear language later that suggest even they would be subject to not receiving one if they are over $25,” Lani said. Chambers said that language would be remedied.
Mansmann said the number of students receiving free or reduced-price meals has been increasing – between one to six percent at district schools – a sign the district’s policies are working to help families in need get into the program.
“Because of the media coverage, we have received input, decent ideas and suggestions, and we want to take all of that into consideration,” Daniels said.