Citizen Staff Writer
FROM OUR BLOGS
The Associated Press reports that Albuquerque Public Schools have instituted a “cheese sandwich policy” for children of parents who haven’t paid their lunch bills.
It’s one of several districts to target spiraling costs and deadbeat parents.
Critics have called the new rule degrading.
“One woman said her daughter never wants to go back to school,” said Nancy Pope, director of the New Mexico Collaborative to End Hunger.
But some have applauded the new measure as a way to make parents more responsible.
In Tucson, a reader reports that “Vail schools does this as well, but with (peanut butter-and-jelly) sandwiches. If the parent falls behind with sending in lunch payments, they’ll feed the kid the sandwich until the parent pays up. At least the kid doesn’t go hungry.” John 7294 reports.
MIKE TRUELSEN
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