Government Policy and Budget Discussion Thread (no politics)

[GopherRock]

I've been reading a lot about school being out, and the need for school districts to provide meals to kids. I've been aware that Chicago has been doing this for a long time. What I've found through this is how widespread the practice has become.

My kids didn't get fed in school. I know for sure I didn't, because I still remember my Speed Racer lunch box.

When did schools become free restaurants? Is this a thing all over the country?

My wife works with a lot of teachers who teach in the inner city and first-ring suburbs in the Twin Cities. For the majority of their kids, school is the only place they are guaranteed to get two meals.

There are a lot of school districts in greater Minnesota where there is a significant percentage of students on free and reduced lunches as well, but no one bothers to print that information. Among those, I've noticed a strong undercurrent of "too proud to ask for help." 

[Cincydawg]

I am OK paying for a kids' lunch in school.  

[847badgerfan]

I'm not saying I'm not OK with it. I'm not sure I am OK with it, at the same time.

Maybe.. don't have 5 kids if you can't afford to feed them? 

[Cincydawg]

She looked like she could afford to feed them.  She sounded very well educated to me.  She had a nice car.

I've mentioned before how my ex had no interest in taking care of the kids, none.  I imagine that isn't incredibly uncommon.  

[847badgerfan]

She looked like she could afford to feed them.  She sounded very well educated to me.  She had a nice car.

I've mentioned before how my ex had no interest in taking care of the kids, none.  I imagine that isn't incredibly uncommon. 

Then feed them yourself!

Then don't have them in the first place!


(thankfully you were interested)

[betarhoalphadelta]

I've been reading a lot about school being out, and the need for school districts to provide meals to kids. I've been aware that Chicago has been doing this for a long time. What I've found through this is how widespread the practice has become.

My kids didn't get fed in school. I know for sure I didn't, because I still remember my Speed Racer lunch box.

When did schools become free restaurants? Is this a thing all over the country?

I know that lunches are offered at my son's school, and that they're continuing the practice during the shutdowns because they recognize that for poor kids, they may not be adequately fed otherwise. The other two are in a charter school, and they have a hot lunch option for purchase, but I don't know what they do for poor kids there. I send lunches with all three kids every day, and have never looked into the "free" lunch options.

It's possible that there are actual economic qualifications necessary for free lunches, but I haven't even investigated.

So while free lunches are, I believe, available in most places, I don't think they're the default option for most kids. 

[ELA]

I know that lunches are offered at my son's school, and that they're continuing the practice during the shutdowns because they recognize that for poor kids, they may not be adequately fed otherwise. The other two are in a charter school, and they have a hot lunch option for purchase, but I don't know what they do for poor kids there. I send lunches with all three kids every day, and have never looked into the "free" lunch options.

It's possible that there are actual economic qualifications necessary for free lunches, but I haven't even investigated.

So while free lunches are, I believe, available in most places, I don't think they're the default option for most kids.

I know our district you have to qualify.  I don't know what the qualification is.  Our oldest wants to buy once a week, usually on pizza day or chicken strips days, and occasionally he'll buy a milk.  It honestly might be cheaper to have him buy every day, I think the full meal, at full price is like $1.50, plus 25 cents for the drink.  I just don't particularly want him to eat pizza for lunch every day.  So we end up likely spending more to send him with a sandwich, grapes or an apple, and a cookie.

[bayareabadger]

I'm not saying I'm not OK with it. I'm not sure I am OK with it, at the same time.

Maybe.. don't have 5 kids if you can't afford to feed them?

The psychology that goes into what I'd consider bad decisions of procreation are sprawling and odd. Some people probably even argue there are no bad decisions of procreation.

But that situation gets us far to close to the flame and in the end, if the balance is helping some kids who won't have lunch while giving some irresponsible folks a free-ish ride, we end up going with the former (especially if we guess the balance is more on the former than latter).

EDIT Hmmm, FWIW, it looks like free is for 135% of poverty level or below, reduced for 135-185.

For a two child household, that's free if you make $23,274 or below. Reduced price if you make 31,894 or below. I'm not sure how that's adjusted by area, but in either case, in theory you're real up against it. Now if folks who were up against it stopped having kids until they could, that'd be interesting, but it's probably not in the cards. 

[847badgerfan]

I get all of that.

This is where I'm torn. After all, the kid did nothing wrong, and shouldn't go hungry because his parent(s) are not responsible people. Right?

It's a tough one. I'm all for feeding hungry kids. I'd be all for beating irresponsible parents with a rubber hose too.

[betarhoalphadelta]

Apparently the income guidelines are national for the lower 48. This was linked from my own school district, so apparently it's not indexed to local COL: http://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/data/pdf/incguide1516.pdf

[rolltidefan]

Apparently the income guidelines are national for the lower 48. This was linked from my own school district, so apparently it's not indexed to local COL: http://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/data/pdf/incguide1516.pdf

i'll preface this by saying i'm all for taking care of the kids.

having said that, i really don't like when things are standard across the nation. 23k goes a hell of a lot further in rural alabama than in metropolises like la/ny/san fran. imo, these things need to be localized a lot more to be more effective for the people that are actually struggling.

[FearlessF]

I inquired about this same issue.  Apparently, these hungry kids have programs over the summer when school is out to get breakfast and lunch!

My parents paid for my meals in and out of school

I paid for my daughters meals in and out of school

when did this change that now I'm helping to pay for everyone's kids meals for the rest of my life???  Not sure I got to vote on this....

[betarhoalphadelta]

i'll preface this by saying i'm all for taking care of the kids.

having said that, i really don't like when things are standard across the nation. 23k goes a hell of a lot further in rural alabama than in metropolises like la/ny/san fran. imo, these things need to be localized a lot more to be more effective for the people that are actually struggling.

Agreed... Median household income in my town is $98K/year. The equivalent of houses in my neighborhood (1200sf 3br/2ba) cost in the $600K range, and rent for $2.5-3K/month. 23K doesn't go anywhere. 

I inquired about this same issue.  Apparently, these hungry kids have programs over the summer when school is out to get breakfast and lunch!

My parents paid for my meals in and out of school

I paid for my daughters meals in and out of school

when did this change that now I'm helping to pay for everyone's kids meals for the rest of my life???  Not sure I got to vote on this....

Did you vote for FDR with Truman as his VP in 1944?
Did you vote for FDR with Truman as his VP in 1944? 


Then, in 1946 the school lunch program was made official when President Harry S. Truman signed the National School Lunch Act. The act, written by Senator Richard B. Russell Jr said, “It is hereby declared to be the policy of Congress, as a measure of national security, to safeguard the health and well-being of the Nation’s children and to encourage the domestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commodities and other food, by assisting the States, through grants-in aid and other means, in providing an adequate supply of food and other facilities for the establishment, maintenance, operation and expansion of nonprofit school lunch programs.”

– Sec. 2 The National School Lunch Act, 1946

[847badgerfan]

I inquired about this same issue.  Apparently, these hungry kids have programs over the summer when school is out to get breakfast and lunch!

My parents paid for my meals in and out of school

I paid for my daughters meals in and out of school

when did this change that now I'm helping to pay for everyone's kids meals for the rest of my life???  Not sure I got to vote on this....

You will never get to vote on any "program".


Why do we have a federal board of education, state boards of education, county boards of education, local boards of education?

I count lots and lots of pensions and free healthcare in all of that.