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To further ensure that no students will go hungry, the School Board has revised the system’s nutrition-management policy to eliminate a $10 cap on charging items for students that don’t have the money to pay up front for meals.

The board unanimously agreed to the make the change after Board Member Sara Liechty had asked at the Sept. 11 meeting what the conditions were for students who could not pay for meals.

She said questions had surfaced at the state level about whether children would not be allowed food items if they had gone over the $10 cap.

“State law does not allow us to not feed children,” Liechty said, then referring to the policy. “I don’t think it’s clear … I don’t know why the ($10 charge) is even there.”

Linda Foster, human resources supervisor, said that students in the past year had charged $10,000 that was never collected.

School Board Chair CleiJo Walker said money to make up the difference couldn’t come from federal funds, but Liechty said the money could be absorbed through the system’s general fund.

Liechty said other systems in the state have given children who couldn’t pay for their meals less-desirable food alternatives, such as baloney sandwiches, when the paying students received more substantial meals, like fried chicken. She added that students shouldn’t be served less-attractive food items because they can’t pay.

“There was a time when they didn’t have to pay for any meals,” Liechty said, adding that money for free and reduced meals has been available through state funding.

Franklin County High School Principal Dr. Roger Alsup said FCHS does not deny meals.

“This does not read that way,” Liechty said, referring to the policy and the $10 cap. “The policy sets us up for criticism.”

She referred to a call from State Rep. Iris Rudder, R-Winchester, questioning the situation.

“When you get a call from a state representative, it’s not good.” Liechty said. “We’re doing what we’re supposed to do, but we’re setting ourselves up for criticism.”

Alsup said when students display an inability to pay for meals, they are given free-and-reduced-lunch-program forms to give to their parents to fill out. However, he said some parents won’t go through the process.

Walker said that the system needs to encourage those parents to fill the forms out and participate in the program.

School Board Member Lance Williams questioned whether the two lines referring to the failure-to-pay clause and the $10 cap should be eliminated.

Liechty agreed and motioned for the change. Her effort was seconded by Board Member Sarah Marhevsky, and the board unanimously concurred.