The MCCSC school board updated its lunch policy over the summer to better support students with negative account balances and to ensure their privacy.

   This past May, the board voted to adopt a new, controversial policy stating that students with lunch debt would be allowed three regular meals, after which they would be given an alternate lunch. That lunch would consist of either a peanut butter or cheese sandwich, a fruit cup, and milk.

   This decision was made to lower MCCSC’s lunch debt, which amounted to $11,000 last school year. However, the policy raised concerns for many parents, who considered it “lunch shaming” and even borderline bullying, according to Indiana Public Media.

   “It’s not within a child’s control whether or not their parents pay, and I think there is a stigma and a feeling of sadness whenever that lunch is taken away from you,” board member Cathy Fuentes-Rohwer said.

   The strong opposition to the May decision caused the school board to reconsider its policy, and last month it unanimously voted to allow all students the same lunch, regardless of account balance. In addition, requests for free and reduced lunches are now to be completed entirely online, as to ensure total privacy for the students who need them.