Email regarding school lunch late fees triggers panic, apologies
By Eric Valentine
A perfunctory beginning-of-the-year email from the Blaine County School District regarding school lunch late-fee policies sent some parents who received it into a panic that state Health and Welfare officials would come knocking on their door.
A closer read of the original email threatened no such thing, but in today’s climate of digital messaging overkill and the district’s own battles with what some parents and teachers have called a fear of retribution, it’s easy to see how misinterpretation took effect. The school district was all apologies by Monday and reissued the email with more clarification.
“The policies were emailed without context and caused concern, which was not our intention,” district spokesperson Heather Crocker said of the first message. “We have never called Health and Welfare about a lunch/breakfast issue since I have worked for the district.”
At issue was how the district would handle any student’s school lunch plan that had an unpaid balance of $5 or more. One part of that original email said, “If no attempt has been made to satisfy the account or provide for the student’s meal within five (5) school days, the building Principal may notify the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare, if appropriate.”
The followup email instead stated, “All students will continue to receive a balanced meal for breakfast and lunch regardless of the balance on their family’s account. The policy mentions referring families to Health and Welfare. This is not part of our regular practice. Only when there is concern about a child’s safety do we report, as required by law.”
The original email also indicated that when a child’s balance goes unpaid, parents can apply for the free and reduced lunch program. In a written response by the district when asked about what happens when parents can’t or don’t pay up, Crocker wrote, “They are given until the end of the school year to pay their balance. After that, it is sent to collections. There is a Farmer’s Market fund that can provide assistance if families are experiencing hardship and cannot pay the balance. We never deny a child a meal if they can’t afford it.”