School Food Shaming: Washoe County School District Says No

With a growing attention to the issue of "lunch shaming" - the acts of withholding a healthy lunch from students with unpaid balances on their accounts - one Nevada district has said no the practice. The Washoe County School Board voted to reject a policy that would have forced those students to have a lesser meal.

The district does have a financial dilemma - they are owed $66,000 in unpaid bills from the families of students. And while they are concerned that some families are taking advantage of the fact that the schools will likely feed their children no matter what, they also recognize some families just can't afford it.

Under the proposal, a student with an unpaid balance of $13.50 or more would have been told that for $1 they can have a cheese sandwich, milk and a fruit or vegetable.

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The board decided to reject it out of fear the effect would be shame students who had no control over the situation.

File photo: US Dept. of Agriculture photo from Creative Commons.