I have some, uh, personal experience with school bills not being paid on time. On more then several occasions I was informed, at college and high school, that my tuition check had not been received. The situation was always resolved fairly quickly and never concerned a lack of funds but still, it could, at times be a little irritating/embarrassing. So, having said that, I think this story about what the Chula Vista Elementary School District is doing to encourage parents to pay their debts is kinda rough on the kids. To wit:
When too many parents fell behind on paying for school lunches, the Chula Vista Elementary School District decided to get tough — on the children.
They told students with deadbeat parents that they had only one lunch choice: a cheese sandwich.
The sandwich, served on whole wheat bread, came with a clear message: Tell your parents to pay up — or no more pizza and burgers for you.
snip
The cheese sandwich, they say, has become a badge of shame for the children, who get teased about it by their classmates. One student cried when her macaroni and cheese was replaced with a sandwich. A little girl hid in a restroom to avoid getting one. Many of the sandwiches end up untouched or tossed whole in the garbage. Sometimes kids pound them to pieces.
“I think it’s an infamous cheese sandwich,” said Frank Luna, whose son, Christopher, just finished the sixth grade.
A year ago, he said, a cafeteria worker took away Christopher’s pizza and forced him in front of his friends to pick up a sandwich instead. A similar incident occurred when Christopher was in the third grade. “The kid was humiliated,” said his father, who added that he did not realize he owed money, $7.50.
Ok now thats kinda awful. A little girl hides in the bathroom to avoid getting one? A kid gets his pizza taken away over $7.50? I can see why this would be quite effective in getting parents to pay but this is misdirected at the kids. Its not their fault their parents didnt step up in time. Leave the kids alone. Although I do like a good cheese sandwich every now and then. Even still.