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‘Do children ... need to be embarrassed?’ Fayette could end cheese sandwich penalty.

The Fayette County school board is exploring how to end a controversial policy in which students with unpaid school meal bills are offered an alternative lunch of a cheese sandwich and milk.

Given the financial challenges brought on by COVID-19 , that board is also looking at whether they can stop charging student fees for classes. High school instructional fees are generally eight dollars per class.

Board member Christy Morris, at a budget work session last week, asked whether the district could seek money from private groups and take other steps so that kids delinquent in paying for school meals won’t be denied a regular meal and offered an alternative.

“It’s a moral question,” said Morris “Do children really need to be embarrassed in that way....do children really need to be singled out in that way.”

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, all students will receive free school meals through the end of this school year.

Because of the income of students at specific Fayette schools, all students in 2021-22 will get free meals at at least 43 schools and at other schools, low income students get free and reduced meals. Low income students also have class fees waived.

Next school year, the delinquent meal policy is set to be back in place. Similar policies have created controversy nationwide.

Meal prices for the upcoming school year are normally set in June or July annually, said district spokeswoman Lisa Deffendall.

A student who owes more than $10, or seven lunches or four breakfasts, is offered a cheese sandwich and milk. If they have allergies to that food, another kind of sandwich and milk is offered, Deffendall said.

Morris asked if the district could raise funds privately or through non-profits to pay for the meals of children whose bills are delinquent.

Both Spires and Morris asked for cost estimates from the staff currently working on the 2021-22 school year budget. Spires said she’s aware that eliminating fees might not be possible.

“A lot of our middle income students are the ones that are hurting,” because of the financial impact of COVID-19, Spires said.

She wants to explore the financial impact of eliminating fees.

“I look at this as an equity issue,” she said.

“I know families are hurting, I wanted to offer some relief in some way.”