Washington is looking to revise its lunch shaming law due to climbing meal debt at districts across the state, HeraldNet reports.
The Hunger-Free Student Bill of Rights, which passed last year, prohibits schools from denying meals to students who can’t pay and prevents them from being forced to do chores in exchange for meals. Districts are also forced to notify students’ families and help them with applying for free or reduced-priced meal applications if they are behind on five or more lunches.
Since the passing of the bill, districts around the state have seen increased meal debt, with one district reporting that it had amassed up to $77,000 in unpaid meal balances so far this school year, compared to the previous school year, when it accumulated $31,000 in negative balances.
Under the revised House Bill 1685, schools would be able to set their own notification policy for contacting parents. Districts would also be allowed to offer a cheaper alternative meal to students who can’t pay. The meal would also have to be available to their peers. High schoolers could also be denied a la carte items or a meal if the state does not give money to the districts to cover the cost.
Read the full story via heraldnet.com.