BEAVERTON -- After picking out her lunch, a third-grader at Jacob Wismer Elementary School stood in line to pay, only to find out her account was empty.

Instead of letting the girl charge another meal, the school's cafeteria manager took the tray from her and trashed her nachos, carrots and unopened water bottle, according to her parents.

"That should remind your parents to pay on time," the lunch employee told the girl, her parents said. The employee handed the girl an "emergency lunch" of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and milk. When the girl said she was allergic to peanuts, she got a bagel.

"This whole implementation I think is just shocking," said the girl's mother, Radha Moghe, a part-time Portland Community College nutrition instructor on leave this year. "Taking away food from a child's hands once they've chosen it is probably not the best."

The Oct. 15 incident raises the issue of how schools deal with students whose lunch accounts are delinquent when the children have no control over their parents' finances.

Lax lunch policies could mean hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, so school districts throughout the metro area keep a close eye on delinquent accounts.

But it's not clear how individual schools handle it at the lunch counter. It's also not unique to Oregon. Last month, the Edmonds School District in Washington reversed its policy of throwing away food from students' lunches if they didn't have money or their accounts were more than $10 short.

Jacob Wismer's principal acknowledged the incident, although she hadn't heard about the employee's comment to the girl. After several discussions with the girl's parents, the school has changed its lunch procedures.

"I just don't want to see any students embarrassed like this little girl was," said Principal Joan McFadden.

Beaverton School District's policy states that when students become delinquent by three meals, they are given an emergency meal, consisting of a cold sandwich and milk. Susan Barker, nutrition services administrator, said a cafeteria employee is supposed to trade a food tray for the alternative meal but the food "shouldn't be thrown out in front of them."

Of the 3,200 emergency meals served this school year, Barker said this was the first complaint she was aware of. The nutrition services department is assessing how similar situations are handled at other schools, Barker added.

The girl's father, Shrirang Moghe, said she was short $6.30 in her account and that her mother had dropped off a check that morning, but it wasn't credited.

"We just want to not let this happen to any child in the school district," said Moghe, a software company program manager. "If there's a better implementation of this policy, let's do it."

Initially upset by their daughter's experience, Radha and Shrirang Moghe contacted the district, asking it to re-examine how its meal-charging policy is implemented.

As a result, Jacob Wismer switched to a system where teachers can let students know in advance of picking out food whether they need to ask for an emergency meal, McFadden said.

Beaverton switched its three-meal delinquency rule about three years ago when the policy became too lenient, Barker said. At the end of the 2005-06 school year, the independently operated nutrition services department racked up $70,000 to $80,000 in uncollected debt. After the new rules were implemented, that amount dropped by $50,000 the following year, Barker said.

"We really think this is pretty lenient or generous -- that students get three times that they aren't paying -- compared with some other school districts," Barker said.

Portland Public Schools lets elementary students borrow but makes an automated call home if the child has borrowed twice. When students' balances are high, even up to $25, schools send letters home and call parents. At that point, they'll let students pick fruits and vegetables from their food bar and a milk.

"We want to feed kids at all costs," said nutrition services director Kristy Obbink. But, "we are required to pay our own way. So, just like any business, we have to make rules and a policy that sometimes doesn't seem fair."

The Reynolds School District ended its unrestricted free breakfast and lunch policy last year and opted to give elementary students graham crackers and milk if they couldn't afford a lunch.

About three years ago, West Linn-Wilsonville School District staff gave peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to students who didn't pay their bills but abandoned the idea because it was embarrassing for students and not nutritious enough, Superintendent Roger Woehl said.

Shrirang Moghe said the Beaverton district listened to their concerns.

"We believe that their efforts are going to pay off with dividends that we are looking for," he said.

Wendy Owen, Maya Blackmun and Casey Parks of The Oregonian staff contributed to this report.

-- Melissa Navas; melissanavas@news.oregonian.com