Many eating free meals at school aren't eligible: 1 in 4 may not qualify; cost could hit $1 billion

The Courier-Journal ^ | May 26, 2002 | R. G. Dunlop

[sarcasm]

A large number of the nearly 312,000 Kentucky public school students approved for free or reduced-price school lunches are not legally entitled to them.

The students are in the National School Lunch Program, which is intended to provide nutritious meals to poor children. The program's benefits are unquestioned -- the link between good nutrition and the ability to learn is well-established.

[sarcasm]

When a family signs up for the lunch program, it is required only to submit an application stating its income.

It's obvious that we need to eliminate this requirement and just provide free lunches and perhaps dinners to all children.

[maryz]

Seems to me I've heard that a lot of schools (school systems?) push kids to sign up for the school lunch program whether they're eligible or not because a high number signed up triggers other kinds of financial aid too.

[SBeck]

To quote W. Churchill, no shrinking liberal he, "the greatest investment a nation can make is to put milk into babies."

[Galtoid]

It would be easier to provide meals for everyone rather than having to cut through the nightmarish application process to sort it all out. It is probably cheaper to just go ahead and feed everyone, rather than pay a bunch of bureaucrats to push paper all year long.

[sarcasm]

But concern has deepened because so much federal education spending is now linked to lunch-program participation. The amount has risen dramatically -- from $4.5 billion in 1987 to its present level, more than $18 billion. This money can be critical to a school.

[blam]

"It's obvious that we need to eliminate this requirement and just provide free lunches and perhaps dinners to all children."

Great idea! With your new program, parents could completely abandon their children to the state. (move in some mobile homes and keep the children at school all the time....or would that be called an orphanage?)

[Celtjew Libertarian]

When I worked in public health, there was a discussion I overheard. Half the kids getting free lunches didn't actually qualify for the lunches. Half the kids who did qualify, didn't get it, because their family either didn't bother to sign them up or were ashamed to admit they were that poor.

At least, this was the case in one county, but I don't see why it would be much different elsewhere.

[grammymoon]

Living in Staten Island, NY a few years ago, my own daughters went to school with a girl who's famly lived in a huge custom home valued at approx. 700K, both her Mom & Dad worked full time and they collected rents fromother properties they owned.
This girl got free lunch through this program. I was sickened.

[Orangedog]

No one is going to do anything to change this. The people who could fix it will not because they still remember the pasting that the republicans took in 95 and 96 when they tried to get this program under control. The dems were able to prove just how useful the soccer-mom idiots are with this program. Gephardt, Daschle, and the other socialists wasted no time in accusing them of trying to starve children. Instead of just telling the country "Look, they are lying to you. These people are liars and we will prove it to all of you." they pranced around with the typical watered-down republican responses that the dems were "factually inaccurate" and "telling falsehoods." The dems loved it! They sat back and laughed at the other side, in no small part because the republicans were affraid to call a liar what he is....a liar.

Now the school lunch program is the poster child of government waste, fraud and abuse. It is the newest "3rd rail" in Washington.

[SamAdams76]

Why they have cafeterias at all in schools befuddle me. Since when did feeding kids become the focus of our public schools? When I was a kid, my mother usually packed me a peanut butter sandwich and a Twinkie. That is fare affordable to even the poorest welfare/food stamp families. The idea that kids need a "hot lunch" in school is preposterous. When my kids are home, they almost never get a hot lunch. Usually a sandwich or something if they even eat lunch at all. Breakfast and dinner are the two big meals in this house. We often don't even bother with lunch.

[TennTuxedo]

This just what the liberals want everyone to do.....ignore this mess. This is just another example of how the liberals buy votes and elections with our tax money. If you don't put your foot down and clean it up, you will encounter many more problems and a strengthened group of liberals.

[w1andsodidwe]

And there is an even larger financial issue: The number of children getting free and reduced-price lunches is used as a poverty indicator that helps determine how much money public schools receive through various state and federal educational programs.

This is the reason for the excess number on free lunch. The more students they recruit for free lunch, the more money the school gets. Certainly in California that is all public education is about. More money, more money. Continual whining about not enough money is the norm, but educators do not want to be judged on results.

I am continually being told that teachers need more money. I have offered to compare my hourly salary with my teacher friends. They tell me "You don't understand, sometimes we need to put in time at home grading papers". My answer to that is "What professional does not put in extra time at home?" I know of none.

[sarcasm]

Your modifications to my plan sound great. We could then provide socialist indoctrination 24/7.

[sarcasm]

We actually went home for lunch in elementary school. In Junior High and High School we brought our lunches. I can't imagine eating the stuff that they serve in a school cafeteria.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

One billion tax dollars buys a lot of votes.

[cynicom]

You got a Twinkie too???? You rich folks.

[discostu]

It's school cafeteria food, even for free it's overpriced. Ah fond memories of "burgers" with moist buns and dry meat.

[morjon]

About five years ago, I sold an upscale home in Plano, Tx to a couple (not a cheap pad!) they informed me that some very important mail would be coming to the address before we moved out, and please be sure to save it for them...it was the application for reduced school meals for their kids!!!! Now if they could qualify and afford my house, they sure as hell didn't qualify for reduced meals...in my book anyway. What a world!

[Publius6961]

What is the functional difference between the present state of affairs and Communism?
Other than the name (welfare, compulsory compassion, whatever), the phrase from each according to his ability... to each according to his needs..." come to mind.

Isn't Stealth Socialism/Communism great?