Published Online: July 12, 2013

Principals to be responsible for unpaid lunch

ALEXANDRIA, La. (AP) — After three years of large balances owed for unpaid school lunches, the Rapides Parish School Board will hold principals responsible for balances at their schools.

Board members voted in June to pay the $35,957 owed this year for unpaid student lunches out of the district's general fund. Beginning in August, Food Services Director Erma Davis tells The Town Talk (http://townta.lk/178lm0l ) that money will come from individual school funds.

The board approved a plan July 2 based on recommendations from Davis presented to tackle the overage that occurred for a third consecutive year. The district was saddled with balances of nearly $70,000 in 2012 and nearly $60,000 in 2011.

Cafeteria managers at each school will report weekly on balances to their principals, Davis said.

The biggest culprits in unpaid student lunches are those who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, but who do not turn in an application by deadline. Davis said many think they do not qualify when they do.

"The biggest thing is getting the parents to fill out applications, and we can eliminate all this," Davis said. "The income guidelines change every year."

So Davis and board members are putting the responsibility on principals to get applications into her office on time.

"We are stressing to principals to get kids' applications turned in the first 30 days of school," Davis said. "It's important because a lot (of the balance) were free lunch students that didn't turn in their applications."

Principal Wally Fall said overdue lunch balances aren't much of a problem at Scott M. Brame Middle School, but only because he and the school's cafeteria manager constantly remind students of balances.

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Information from: Alexandria Daily Town Talk, http://www.thetowntalk.com


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