A modified approach to unpaid lunch debt has helped Virginia Beach City Public Schools reduce its cafeteria debt by nearly 17 percent in just one month, the Virginian-Pilot reports.
The new policy—which requires that students with more than $20.75 in unpaid balances receive fruit, a vegetable and a protein-based sandwich that contains more than cheese—has had a “pretty huge” impact, John Smith, director of food services for the Virginia Beach, Va., district, told the Virginian-Pilot.
In an effort to shield students from the scrutiny of their classmates, the district scrapped alternative meals for indebted students two years ago, allowing students to purchase unlimited hot meals and later pay back what they owed. However, the district’s cafeteria debt soared as a result, rising to a high of $360,000 last month.
Since enacting the recent change, that balance has fallen below $300,000, Smith said.
Read the full story via The Virginian-Pilot.