If you child doesn't have lunch money at school, the trash may be eating their food instead

Students make their way through the line during lunch at Mauriceville Middle School on Friday. In many southeast Texas school lunchrooms, when a student can't pay for their meal, the food winds up in the trash. Photo taken Friday, 1/31/14 Jake Daniels/@JakeD_in_SETX less Students make their way through the line during lunch at Mauriceville Middle School on Friday. In many southeast Texas school lunchrooms, when a student can't pay for their meal, the food winds up in the ... more Photo: Jake Daniels Photo: Jake Daniels Image 1 of / 13 Caption Close If you child doesn't have lunch money at school, the trash may be eating their food instead 1 / 13 Back to Gallery

Twice Michelle Bass' daughter had to endure an afternoon at school with a rumbling stomach because she forgot her lunch money.

Twice a Marshall Middle School cafeteria cashier tossed the food the eighth-grader had put on her plate into the trash because she could not pay right away.

"She has come home starving to death because she didn't have enough money in her account," Bass said in a phone interview Friday. "It's embarrassing for me as a parent."

Bass, who did not want to disclose her daughter's name for fear of retribution, said she honestly forgot to put money in her daughter's lunch account - a small oversight that has caused her daughter to miss lunch.

That is not supposed to happen. Beaumont ISD, the district Marshall Middle School is in, has a policy to feed all students regardless of the amount of money in their accounts, said Joanna Genuardi, BISD's child nutrition director.

"We have many students whose only meal they get is at school," she said.

That's not the policy at every Southeast Texas school district. Many allow students to charge lunch to their accounts a handful of times, depending on the campus, before they toss away their trays and hand them a cold sandwich - sometimes cheese or peanut butter and jelly - and milk. For health code reasons, the district cannot give that food to another student.

Little Cypress-Mauriceville CISD has a no-charge policy, which means if you do not have lunch money, you must throw away the food you stood in line for and eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead.

"That's when the cashiers and lunch ladies empty their pockets and cry," said Suzanne Magee, LC-M CISD's child nutrition director.

The Texas Department of Agriculture reimburses school districts for each meal they serve students as long as students eat pre-approved foods, which include a mixture of carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits, dairy and protein. School districts are not reimbursed for the alternate meals they serve students who do not have lunch money on hand.

So why not just give the well-balanced meal to the student who does not have lunch money?

"That's what we say," Magee said.

One way to avoid throwing away healthy, edible food because a student has touched it but cannot pay for it is to move the cash register to the front of the line, said District 22 State Rep. Joe Deshotel, D-Beaumont.

"Throwing food away doesn't seem to solve the problem," he said. "It wastes food and embarrasses the kid."

Some school districts have gotten smart and started checking students' lunch accounts prior to lunch to see who will receive a cold cheese sandwich instead of pepperoni pizza, fish nuggets or a chef salad, which were Friday's entree choices at Mauriceville Middle School.

In Lumberton, teachers will check the accounts of elementary school students to ensure they have enough money before lunch period, said Anna Miller, human resources director. But it's the responsibility of middle and high school students to monitor their accounts.

Orangefield ISD will pull reports of students who do not have sufficient funds in their lunch accounts and notify the cafeteria and teachers those students need an alternate lunch, said Shaun McAplin, assistant superintendent.

"You can't give a meal away," he said. "They're going to get a meal if they choose."

McAlpin said school districts' food services departments must break even and cannot go into the negative because students are not paying for their lunches. You would not see that happen at a Luby's, he said.

Deshotel said some could take advantage of the school district if it continues to give away lunch for free, but he said the children are the ones who are suffering when they miss lunch.

"I don't think there's an easy solution," he said.

The BISD tracks the students who frequently have trouble paying for lunch and contacts their parents to negotiate a way to pay off their accounts by enlisting the help of campus principals, said Genuardi, the child nutrition director.

"Every district handles it differently," said Nederland ISD nutrition director Linda Schnur. Nederland allows students to charge lunches and contacts students' parents if the problem becomes a pattern.

Port Arthur ISD parents do not have to worry whether their children have sufficient lunch money because every student receives free breakfast and lunch thanks to a national free lunch program, said Superintendent Mark Porterie.

The BISD, which offers every student free breakfast, is in the process of joining the free lunch program, as well, Genuardi said.

"We know the importance of eating a nutritious meal," Porterie said. "We don't want any of our students to have a growling stomach."

What happens when a student can't pay for lunch?:

- Little Cypress-Mauriceville CISD: No outstanding balances, no charges; students who can't pay get a sandwich.

- Nederland ISD: Lets students charge lunch, then contacts parents.

- Vidor ISD: Lets student charge twice; after that, the student gets sandwich and milk.

- Port Neches-Groves ISD: Middle school and high school allow no charges, and parents are notified if students need money; elementary principal sets limit of charges and contacts parents.

- Port Arthur ISD: Every student receives a free lunch and free breakfast.

- BISD: Feeds every child regardless of balance; feeds every student free breakfast.

- Bridge City ISD: Feed students but sends notes to parents weekly or calls if payment is overdue.

- Hamshire-Fannett ISD: Feeds an alternate meal and notifies parents; if it becomes a pattern, parents are notified.

- Orangefield ISD: Allows charge about three times; alternate lunch otherwise.

- Lumberton ISD: Students can charge as long as principal allows in middle school and high school; more lenient with elementary students; can also get alternate meal.

BCrum@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/broocrum