Letter: Reconsider school lunch policies

This is in response to the Cedar Rapids Community School District and now the Linn-Mar school district's policy to let their high school students go hungry and not receive a lunch if their parents are behind in lunch payments.

It is a well-known fact that children do better when they are well fed. They are more attentive and focused in school.

Maybe the parents are behind because they had an unexpected car repair bill. Maybe they had to pay for a doctor visit for their child. Maybe the parent was sick and missed work and didn't get paid. Maybe it's a single parent barely making it through the week. Whatever the issue, it's not their child's fault.

When many cities see a decline in high school graduations, schools need to do everything to keep kids in school. This unfortunate policy doesn't help.

At the very least, you should give the child a half sandwich and an apple and milk. High school students, especially, need a lot of calories to grow and thrive.

I bet the high schools could shave some money from their sports programs to help make up the shortfall.

This practice is unkind, unfair, unchristian and unconscionable. You need to come up with a better plan which doesn't deprive children of food. Cedar Rapids is better than this.

Sharon Schanbacher

Cedar Rapids