(AP Photo)
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFGO) – What do schools do when a student has lunch debt? Every district has different policies but some have punitive and public-shaming methods of getting kids and families to settle up.
Landis Larson, president of the North Dakota AFL-CIO, says its time to end those practices.
“All of the other students can see that kids with debt are being treated differently. It’s wrong,” he said. “We need to make sure all our schools have policies that treat our kids with dignity and respect, and get them the nutrition they need to be successful students.”
A bipartisan group of North Dakota legislators agree. Monday at 3:00 p.m. the House Education Committee will hear testimony on HB 1494, which would eliminate the practice of lunch shaming.
The bill forbids schools from denying meals or serving alternative meals to kids with lunch debt. It also prohibits identifying kids publicly, limiting their participation in extra curricular activities, or requiring students to work to pay off the debt.
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