New Bill Will Help Schools With Lunch Program Debt

school-lunch

The governor has signed a bill into law that seeks to address lunch money problems in Iowa schools. The policy is a response to reports of high levels of lunch debt and the so-called “food shaming” of some students. The new law will let schools claim lottery winnings or state tax refunds from parents who have school lunch debt. Schools may also accept private donations to cover those meals. Senator Ken Rozenboom (ROH-zen-boom) of Oskaloosa says schools will be able to use those donations to write-off debt at the end of every year.

The bill cleared the House AND Senate unanimously. The handful of legislators who publicly remarked on the bill made the common point that it’s not the fault of the child if their parent fails to pay for their school lunch.