"Free lunch for all" coming back to some schools?

[Anonymous]

I heard from one of the teachers at my kids' school that starting in the fall, some schools, including ours, will once again be offering free lunch and breakfast for all students, even those who don't qualify for FARMs. Has anyone else heard about this or have any source? I can't find anything online about it, but I would think that a teacher at the school could be a reliable source. For what it's worth, my kids attend a Title I school and have always gotten free breakfast, but not free lunch.

[Anonymous]

Some schools are community lunch schools. Once a certain percentage of kids qualify, schools are allowed to feed everyone, which lowers the administrative burden.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some schools are community lunch schools. Once a certain percentage of kids qualify, schools are allowed to feed everyone, which lowers the administrative burden.

This. Most if not all Title I schools fall into this category.

[Anonymous]

Kids hate MCPS lunches so much that they won't eat it even if you give it away for free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids hate MCPS lunches so much that they won't eat it even if you give it away for free.

This. There is SO much waste. Our school gives our free breakfast and the kids end up throwing tons of food away. Lunch is even worse. The kids will pick one thing out to eat and then throw the rest in the garbage.

[Anonymous]

*gives out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids hate MCPS lunches so much that they won't eat it even if you give it away for free.

This is not what I’ve observed as a teacher and parent.
I teach at a high FARMS MS. Our students eat the entrees, which I find revolting, and many of the starchy sides but often skip the fruit/veg and milk.
My own children (HS) have access to much higher quality food from home, but eat school lunch now and then —completely by choice. It drives me nuts. They started when lunch was free to all and the habit has carried over. I refuse to put money in their lunch accounts anymore for this reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some schools are community lunch schools. Once a certain percentage of kids qualify, schools are allowed to feed everyone, which lowers the administrative burden.

But from the list of community schools on the website, this school is not one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some schools are community lunch schools. Once a certain percentage of kids qualify, schools are allowed to feed everyone, which lowers the administrative burden.

But from the list of community schools on the website, this school is not one.

Look at the list of Title 1 schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids hate MCPS lunches so much that they won't eat it even if you give it away for free.

This is not what I’ve observed as a teacher and parent.
I teach at a high FARMS MS. Our students eat the entrees, which I find revolting, and many of the starchy sides but often skip the fruit/veg and milk.
My own children (HS) have access to much higher quality food from home, but eat school lunch now and then —completely by choice. It drives me nuts. They started when lunch was free to all and the habit has carried over. I refuse to put money in their lunch accounts anymore for this reason.

It doesn’t really makes sense to offer free breakfast and lunch to all kids.

The free breakfast is often sugary crap and I wish they didn’t offer it to everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids hate MCPS lunches so much that they won't eat it even if you give it away for free.

This is not what I’ve observed as a teacher and parent.
I teach at a high FARMS MS. Our students eat the entrees, which I find revolting, and many of the starchy sides but often skip the fruit/veg and milk.
My own children (HS) have access to much higher quality food from home, but eat school lunch now and then —completely by choice. It drives me nuts. They started when lunch was free to all and the habit has carried over. I refuse to put money in their lunch accounts anymore for this reason.

It doesn’t really makes sense to offer free breakfast and lunch to all kids.

The free breakfast is often sugary crap and I wish they didn’t offer it to everyone.

Then tell your Larla to not eat it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids hate MCPS lunches so much that they won't eat it even if you give it away for free.

This is not what I’ve observed as a teacher and parent.
I teach at a high FARMS MS. Our students eat the entrees, which I find revolting, and many of the starchy sides but often skip the fruit/veg and milk.
My own children (HS) have access to much higher quality food from home, but eat school lunch now and then —completely by choice. It drives me nuts. They started when lunch was free to all and the habit has carried over. I refuse to put money in their lunch accounts anymore for this reason.

It doesn’t really makes sense to offer free breakfast and lunch to all kids.

The free breakfast is often sugary crap and I wish they didn’t offer it to everyone.

Then tell your Larla to not eat it.

Teacher here- good luck with that. Even when they don’t take the food few can pass up the chocolate milk/apple juice. And no, don’t email your teacher asking us to not let your child have the food on X day. We don’t have time to police your dietary preferences.

Believe me, I’d like MCPS to replace the sugary breakfasts with more sensible options. But they’re not going to get rid of free breakfast altogether.

[Anonymous]

MCPS does not pick out or make the guides for what constitutes as healthy. There is a federal guide (which is a joke). I worked for many years in elementary schools and I definitely saw lots of food waste. The kids have to have a "balanced meal" so the lunch ladies make sure the kids take the fruit/veg and the milk, roll, etc and then the kids dump all lot of that. My DD is in a title one school and there is free breakfast for all. She will sometimes eat the pancakes or cinnamon roll. She wouldn't eat the free lunch the previous year when it was offered to everyone, though she initially loved being able to order french fries and pizza when they had it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids hate MCPS lunches so much that they won't eat it even if you give it away for free.

This is not what I’ve observed as a teacher and parent.
I teach at a high FARMS MS. Our students eat the entrees, which I find revolting, and many of the starchy sides but often skip the fruit/veg and milk.
My own children (HS) have access to much higher quality food from home, but eat school lunch now and then —completely by choice. It drives me nuts. They started when lunch was free to all and the habit has carried over. I refuse to put money in their lunch accounts anymore for this reason.

It doesn’t really makes sense to offer free breakfast and lunch to all kids.

The free breakfast is often sugary crap and I wish they didn’t offer it to everyone.

Then tell your Larla to not eat it.

Teacher here- good luck with that. Even when they don’t take the food few can pass up the chocolate milk/apple juice. And no, don’t email your teacher asking us to not let your child have the food on X day. We don’t have time to police your dietary preferences.

Believe me, I’d like MCPS to replace the sugary breakfasts with more sensible options. But they’re not going to get rid of free breakfast altogether.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids hate MCPS lunches so much that they won't eat it even if you give it away for free.

This is not what I’ve observed as a teacher and parent.
I teach at a high FARMS MS. Our students eat the entrees, which I find revolting, and many of the starchy sides but often skip the fruit/veg and milk.
My own children (HS) have access to much higher quality food from home, but eat school lunch now and then —completely by choice. It drives me nuts. They started when lunch was free to all and the habit has carried over. I refuse to put money in their lunch accounts anymore for this reason.

It doesn’t really makes sense to offer free breakfast and lunch to all kids.

The free breakfast is often sugary crap and I wish they didn’t offer it to everyone.

I think what you mean is you wish the food was of higher quality. Why would sugary crap be okay for poor kids but not yours?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids hate MCPS lunches so much that they won't eat it even if you give it away for free.

This is not what I’ve observed as a teacher and parent.
I teach at a high FARMS MS. Our students eat the entrees, which I find revolting, and many of the starchy sides but often skip the fruit/veg and milk.
My own children (HS) have access to much higher quality food from home, but eat school lunch now and then —completely by choice. It drives me nuts. They started when lunch was free to all and the habit has carried over. I refuse to put money in their lunch accounts anymore for this reason.

So you want to change the lunches to more fruit and veg that the kids won't eat?
I can't believe the attitude of people (teachers) on here when for some kids this is the best food they will get all day.