Public schools are in a difficult spot in this. They have to at least appear to be prudent guardians of taxpayer expenditures, or risk losing public support and budgets at election time. The taxpayers in my county just turned down a huge public school bond due to concern the school administrators were “gold-plating” the expenses-only the very finest in sports equipment, lavish field trips paid for by the school). Taxpayers, particularly those on fixed incomes or those without children (an increasing demographic) understandable bristle at imprudent expenditures which raise their taxes. Public school lunch prices are already subsidized by USDA, for everyone. The fallout that would result from disclosure that the schools then provided free lunch to the kids of parents making 250K would be very hard to manage for administrators. While obviously everyone wants hungry impoverished children fed, this isn’t an easy situation.
I’m hopeful more companies will hop on the bandwagon. Just because one company can’t help everyone doesn’t mean they shouldn’t help someone. We make donations too knowing full well I can’t help everyone. It takes a community. Even if the community doesn’t step up to join, at least someone got help. One district is better than no districts.
Our school assists those who need clothing too. It’s done quietly via the school nurse and counselors. Anyone can donate decent clothes. They don’t want or accept rags.
Holy cow - no good deed goes unpunished! The company made a donation. It didn’t check out the surrounding districts to see that district A has more need than B . For Pete’s Sakes folks - it’s a good thing. So be it if some kids that don’t meet the appropriate “need” cut off get free lunch. Chobani can do what Chobani wants with its money.
I’m not sure where you all are getting that people are mad at Chobani. I, personally, would prefer that companies paid their fair share of taxes rather than making public donations to tax-funded institutions, but that’s not the system we have. Just like I’d prefer to fund healthcare through taxes rather than donations to gofundme fundraising. Unpaid meal charges are something every school district is dealing with and I don’t want to see school districts shamed because they are trying to find a way to balance their meal budgets. Especially when their program appears to be trying to be as nonpunitive as possible while incentivizing paying. Good for Chobani. It’s a PR move and a good one. I like their yogurt. Like the whole college loan mess, there are both systemic and individual issues at play. I don’t think people should take advantage of the lunch program by not paying their debts. I also think we should raise the minimum wage and have more affordable housing. I am just tired of social media outrage that demonizes someone without looking for accurate information or allowing for nuance.
@my3girls yes. Our whole school district went on the federal grant 4 years ago. all students get free breakfast and lunch if they want. I believe they can even stop by the schools during the summer as well. I thought the requirements were a lot higher than 40%, as we certainly are, but I checked and you are correct. Prior to the free lunch, I know the elementary schools used to give kids PB&J sandwiches for delinquent accounts.
It’s definitely a complicated issue and I can see both sides of it. I know of many wealthy families who were hundreds of dollars behind when they attended the private K-8 school despite weekly reminders. I also know plenty of kids whose parents spend the $$$ on alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. No amount of shaming would get them to change their behavior. And I know of several parents who would give their left arm to have more $$$ to feed their kids. But you can’t have a blanket policy that picks and chooses which cases get covered.
In any case, I do applaud Chobani for caring and trying to do the right thing.
What does district officials singling individual kids out in a way that lets everyone else know their parents didn’t pay their bill have to do with any of the things you mentioned?
Chatter from where? It would be a violation of FERPA for district officials to comment on the finances of these families. Chatter on social media or in the community is about as valid as what people “know” about other kids’ college apps and worth just as much.
What is the solution to get parents to pay their outstanding bills? Pay all of it up front like we do for college room and board? Autopay on a credit card? School district budgets are often stretched thin and they don’t have the buffer to cover unpaid cafeteria charges. And FWIW my daughter takes a PBJ sandwich to school everyday…it’s her favorite - she doesn’t care for hot lunch, so I’m not clear how that’s shaming.
my kids too preferred pb&j when they were young.never touched the hot lunch, I would bet some kids choose this option regularly in any event, and kids could always bring something themselves from home, so I’m not sure why it is necessarily shaming, nor any different than the kid wearing clothes from Target when everyone else is in Vineyard Vines, or opting to drink water rather than the $3 bottle of powerade with their meal.
Tis definitely amazing how many folks seem upset that a private company stepped in to assist a school district.
Just in case one didn’t realize it, we get donations to ours too. It might be computers (and not all kids use them). It might be sports/band (not all kids play). It might be various books in the library (not all kids even check books out of the library). It could be prom (not all kids go). It could be tissues that are of better quality than the school provided freebies. Some folks occasionally even step in to pay library fines once in a while - or donate wood shop fees - or all sorts of things - field trip donations, etc. They may or may not do similar donations to other schools.
Most don’t realize such things are “sins” in the eyes of others. They just have this weird idea that they’re helping a community. Our school district tends to appreciate them.
To those who understand, no explanation is necessary. To those who don’t, none is possible.
Not one person has criticized Chobani on this thread. Not one. There are repeated comments that Chobani is free to do whatever it wants with its money, and supporting corporate donations. Posters are merely trying to correct the rash misimpression that the school system is evil in this case, and a more nuanced approach should be considered. Things are rarely as black and white as social media suggests, nor are public school officials often ogres who delight in torturing and shaming children, contrary to what some suggest here.
I resent the implication that a more sophisticated consideration of the issue is somehow incompatible with compassion-it is possible to engage in critical thinking while caring about children. And sometimes the most sweet intentions end up causing far more harm than good, which all adults should realize by now.
Sorry, but did they get “singled out?”
I don’t mean to sound uncaring. In fact, I think it’s my concern for all kids that drives me to say, “Not enough.” It’s generous. Yes, it resolves one problem at one school. For now. Have you seen the predicted shortfall for next year and the year after?
I’m not keen on the feel good today bandaid. And next door, a kid goes hungry.
Another district had to send 95k in arrears to a debt collection agency. Bill’s $20 and up. Not 5 cents.
Thank you, lookingforward. To paraphrase, those who understand public policy, get it; those who don’t…
I really shouldn’t be lectured. All of us can do more for our local needy. No tsk-tsk because the effort on behalf of one city is a drop in the bucket. Even in a very small state.
Of course it’s nice of Chobani. But it’s far far far from over.
Don’t judge others. Don’t assume I must be looking at social media because I step away from the Praise Chobani crowd and remind of the larger issue.
When I donate to my school it’s because it’s my school - the one my kids attended, the one where I work at, the one I align with. I never consider whether my $$ would help another school more. I have limited money to donate and my school is the “lucky” one. Such is life.
No single company can solve everyone’s financial problems. It certainly doesn’t mean they should do nothing! We’re all drawn to causes via one way or another. We all have our ways of selecting who or what we donate to. Anyone criticizing Chobani’s selection ought to put their own destinations for their charitable giving online and I’m sure plenty of people can “helpfully” show them where to better direct their $$. Or we could be happy that different folks are covering different causes and helping someone out there.
My school just counts their blessings when folks contribute.
Wellesley, MA, a very upscale town, had a huge problem like this a few years ago, but in their case, it was mostly upper middle class parents neglecting to pay their students’ lunch bills. This is a very different problem from districts with a high proportion of poor families who cannot afford the school lunch. In the rural town where I currently live, over 50% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
And one can reasonably ask, what are the possible solutions in Wellesley, and the costs and benefits of each.
I know you’re kind hearted, creekland. But see how this thread has come to focus on Chobani, how great they are. Almost as a shield against facing the larger issue. Nor is it about other goods donated or just our own schools.
It hits a the wrong chord with me when people say, “Oh, I gave,” like checking off a box. Done! And in this case, there are still hungry kids in RI. All our states. It’s about them, imo, not going out to buy yogurt.
@lookingforward Read the thread title. The thread didn’t “come to focus on Chobani;” my intent in starting it was to praise what it did. I’ve listened to what the CEO/founder said about the donation. It seems he learned about the situation because someone who works for Chobani happens to live in that town.That’s how this particular town was chosen. I honestly didn’t think praising Chobani would be controversial.
This kind of reminds me of the thread in which people were castigated for giving money to save Notre Dame and told they should be donating to alleviate poverty, not save buildings.
If you want to start a broader thread about “the larger issue,” please feel free to do so.
@vpa2019 does your child attend a public school? Just curious because I don’t know of any that allow kids to bring peanut butter into a cafeteria or classroom. Too many nut allergies these days.