PFLUGERVILLE, Texas — The Pflugerville Independent School District is changing its lunchroom practices.
In a letter to parents, Pflugerville ISD Superintendent Dr. Doug Killian said the district is eliminating the alternate lunch entree offered to students who have reached a maximum negative balance on their lunch account.
All students will now receive the option of a hot entree regardless of their lunch account balance, and the cost of the meal will be added to their lunch debt.
"Pflugerville ISD is committed to ensuring that all students are provided with the proper nutrition to perform at their best," Killian wrote.
Killian said this district-wide change comes in response to a concerned parent email Pflugerville ISD received regarding the alternate entree option.
Earlier this week, KVUE reported that a Pflugerville ISD parent had attempted to pay for food for a child who was denied cereal due to a negative account balance – only to find that a policy by the school's food provider, Aramark, prohibits donations to individual students. People can only donate to groups, such as classes, grades or schools. In response, the mother started a GoFundMe to facilitate a large donation, which has so far raised nearly $6,000 of its $15,000 goal.
You can read the full email from Killian below:
"Dear PfISD Parents and Guardians,
I want to inform you of a district-wide change to our lunchroom practices. Recently, we had a parent email us with a concern about the alternate entree provided to students who have already reached the maximum negative balance on their account. I am pleased to say that district staff has revisited this policy and, in keeping with our vision to do what is best for children, we have eliminated the alternate lunch entree.
Pflugerville ISD is committed to ensuring that all students are provided with the proper nutrition to perform at their best. Therefore, all students will receive the option of a hot entree regardless of their lunch account balance, and the cost of the meal will be added to their lunch debt. We encourage any families who are experiencing financial difficulty to complete the Free and Reduced Meal Application and submit it to Aramark, our food service provider. Aramark accepts the applications continuously throughout the year. A link to the Application can be found on the district’s website: http://www.pfisd.net/Page/500.
District staff will continue to work with our students and their families to identify any other challenges that they might be experiencing and provide any assistance which may be available through the district. We are committed to supporting the whole student, and ensuring each student has access to a hot meal is one way we can help our students and their families. We appreciate this matter being brought to our attention and encourage all parents to contact their campus or our district administration with any questions, concerns or suggestions they may have. Only by working together can we fulfill our mission of empowering every student to reach their full potential.
In the Best Interest of Children,
Dr. Doug Killian"
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: