Don't Make a Kind Lunch Lady Resign: Children Shouldn't go hungry!!!
- by: Steve Sterling
- recipient: Canonsburg, Pennsylvania Canon-McMillan School District Superintendent Matthew Daniels
Canonsburg Pennsylvania
A school cafeteria worker was forced to resign over what she considers a “lunch shaming” policy in a Pennsylvania school district.
Stacy Koltiska resigned last week from Wylandville Elementary School in the Canon-McMillan School District after she had to take a hot lunch away from an elementary school student because the child’s parent had fallen more than $25 behind in paying for his school lunches.
“His eyes welled up with tears. I’ll never forget his name, the look on his face,” she said.
The Canon-McMillan School District enacted the policy this year to deal with a backlog of about 300 families who owed tens of thousands of dollars. Students from kindergarten through sixth grade will lose their hot lunch but be allowed to charge a cold sandwich, fruit and milk to their meal accounts if their parents owe more than $25. Older students get no lunch at all if their parents owe more than $25.
District Superintendent Matthew Daniels said the policy has cut down drastically on parents who don’t keep current on lunch accounts for their children, and isn’t meant to embarrass anyone. The policy doesn’t target those who qualify for financial assistance with school lunches, but is meant to make sure parents who have the ability to pay stay current.
“There has never been the intent with the adoption of this polity to shame or embarrass a child,” he said.
The 300-plus families who were in arrears before the policy was implemented owed the district between $60,000 and $100,000 annually. Now fewer than 70 families have unpaid lunch tabs totaling less than $20,000, Daniels said.
Koltiska understands the problem the district is trying to address, but argues the children shouldn’t be embarrassed or punished if the accounts fall into debt. Koltiska posted about her frustration on Facebook.
Another cafeteria worker noticed Koltiska was mistakenly giving the boy a hot chicken meal last week instead of the cold sandwich he was permitted under the policy. Koltiska said that because the cafeteria was so busy, she didn’t realize at the time that the boy wasn’t supposed to get the hot meal. That’s why she had to go to the boy and take the meal away.
“I’m not saying the parents shouldn’t be held accountable, but I think there has to be a better way than involving the children,” she said.
Per policy of the school district, if a child's balance exceeds the $11.00 overdraft limit, the lunch is taken away and thrown out in front of the child and his/her peers, humiliating the child and making it hard on the kitchen aids to follow this policy. Who would want to deny a child food (perhaps that child's only meal)?
This situation could be handled in so many more compassionate ways:
They could allow the child to work in the kitchen or cleaning/ wiping down tables in the cafeteria or possibly staying after games to pick up trash in order to earn their lunch if their balance is exceeded. We do not need to humiliate or demean any child or worker in the situation. Students must be provided with an adequate meal.
This kitchen aid deserves to keep her job! Lunch room policies should prioritize kindness and making sure kids recieve a nutritious lunch so they can be ready to learn. The policy is wrong! We need to change the policy or change the people making them!
Please reinstate Stacy Koltiska as cafeteria to her previous job, benefits and time of service. Do not require her to take food away from children. Instead get the parents to prepay on a lunch card with direct deposit, don't make her have to be the food Nazi, this is America!
Sign PetitionSign PetitionA school cafeteria worker was forced to resign over what she considers a “lunch shaming” policy in a Pennsylvania school district.
Stacy Koltiska resigned last week from Wylandville Elementary School in the Canon-McMillan School District after she had to take a hot lunch away from an elementary school student because the child’s parent had fallen more than $25 behind in paying for his school lunches.
“His eyes welled up with tears. I’ll never forget his name, the look on his face,” she said.
The Canon-McMillan School District enacted the policy this year to deal with a backlog of about 300 families who owed tens of thousands of dollars. Students from kindergarten through sixth grade will lose their hot lunch but be allowed to charge a cold sandwich, fruit and milk to their meal accounts if their parents owe more than $25. Older students get no lunch at all if their parents owe more than $25.
District Superintendent Matthew Daniels said the policy has cut down drastically on parents who don’t keep current on lunch accounts for their children, and isn’t meant to embarrass anyone. The policy doesn’t target those who qualify for financial assistance with school lunches, but is meant to make sure parents who have the ability to pay stay current.
“There has never been the intent with the adoption of this polity to shame or embarrass a child,” he said.
The 300-plus families who were in arrears before the policy was implemented owed the district between $60,000 and $100,000 annually. Now fewer than 70 families have unpaid lunch tabs totaling less than $20,000, Daniels said.
Koltiska understands the problem the district is trying to address, but argues the children shouldn’t be embarrassed or punished if the accounts fall into debt. Koltiska posted about her frustration on Facebook.
Another cafeteria worker noticed Koltiska was mistakenly giving the boy a hot chicken meal last week instead of the cold sandwich he was permitted under the policy. Koltiska said that because the cafeteria was so busy, she didn’t realize at the time that the boy wasn’t supposed to get the hot meal. That’s why she had to go to the boy and take the meal away.
“I’m not saying the parents shouldn’t be held accountable, but I think there has to be a better way than involving the children,” she said.
Per policy of the school district, if a child's balance exceeds the $11.00 overdraft limit, the lunch is taken away and thrown out in front of the child and his/her peers, humiliating the child and making it hard on the kitchen aids to follow this policy. Who would want to deny a child food (perhaps that child's only meal)?
This situation could be handled in so many more compassionate ways:
They could allow the child to work in the kitchen or cleaning/ wiping down tables in the cafeteria or possibly staying after games to pick up trash in order to earn their lunch if their balance is exceeded. We do not need to humiliate or demean any child or worker in the situation. Students must be provided with an adequate meal.
This kitchen aid deserves to keep her job! Lunch room policies should prioritize kindness and making sure kids recieve a nutritious lunch so they can be ready to learn. The policy is wrong! We need to change the policy or change the people making them!
Please reinstate Stacy Koltiska as cafeteria to her previous job, benefits and time of service. Do not require her to take food away from children. Instead get the parents to prepay on a lunch card with direct deposit, don't make her have to be the food Nazi, this is America!
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