Photo: WEWS
An Ohio school district has adjusted its school lunch policy in response to outcry over a 9-year-old student who had his lunch taken away from him on his birthday.
Jefferson Sharpnack turned 9 on Aug. 30, though his celebration was dampened after he was denied his lunch of cheesy breadsticks because he had $9 in unpaid debt on his account.
“He gets off the bus and he says, ‘Grandma! Worst birthday ever!’” his grandmother Diane Bailey told local Fox affiliateWJW. “I asked him what happened and he proceeded to tell me that he wasn’t allowed to pass out a snack, which is a new policy, I understand that. Then he says they took his lunch from his tray and gave him a piece of cheese and bread.”
Bailey told WJW she has temporary custody of Jefferson and his siblings, and had enrolled them in the Green Local Schools’ free and reduced lunch program.
She said she was told that she would be able to write a check for any unpaid balances on her grandkids’ accounts until the program’s paperwork had processed.
The move evidently made little sense to fellow parents in the district, as their criticism moved Superintendent Jeff Miller to fix the policy and allow all students to receive their standard lunch.
“We are committed to providing our students with a positive, safe learning environment and experience in every aspect of the school day. All students enrolled in PreK through twelfth grades will receive the standard lunch for the day at their respective buildings regardless of their account balance,” he said in astatement.
The statement continued: “We are sensitive to the financial hardship families incur and challenges presented due to the cost of school breakfast and lunches. Our staff, in coordination with Family Support Specialists, will continue to work with families to ensure they have access to all available resources to assist with purchasing school meals.”
She also revealed that Jefferson’s birthday was salvaged, as the family celebrated with dinner at his favorite restaurant and cupcakes.
Green Local Schools had previously issued a statement to WEWS claiming it was looking into Jefferson’s situation.
A spokesperson for the district did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
RELATED VIDEO: School Lunch Lady Loses 100 lbs. Eating Her Own Cafeteria Food
Three-quarters of the 5 billion lunches served in school cafeterias in 2018 were offered at a free or reduced price, according to theU.S. Department of Agriculture.
TheSchool Nutrition Associationpreviously reported that 75 percent of school districts reported having unpaid student meal debt at the end of the 2016-2017 school year.
source: people.com
