Yonkers School Officials Wonder If Free Lunch Program Is Being Gamed
YONKERS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A popular school lunch program in Yonkers has suddenly gotten more expensive for one local school district.
But as CBS2's Lou Young reported, the money is not the only issue.
The meals that were offered at Lincoln High School on Tuesday are nutritious, but modest in size and price. The options included a chicken patty on a bun with broccoli and corn, a green salad, or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat with fruit.
Ask most teens, and it gets a negative review.
"It doesn't look good. It doesn't taste good," and it is not worth paying for, one student said.
But for many students, especially the younger ones, it might be the only real meal of the day. In Yonkers, where 75 percent of public school families are below the poverty level, it is an essential service.
"We do not allow any child to go hungry," said Yonkers School Supt. Dr. Edwin Quezada.
School lunches have always been something of a loss leader, but the costs have been escalating in recent years. In Yonkers, the people who pay the bills are wondering if they system is being gamed.
Two years ago, Yonkers spent $600,000 on school lunches after federal reimbursement – but that figure is now up to $809,000. Something is off, officials said.
"We as a system need to get better at what we do, and part of what we do is holding everyone responsible," Quezada said.
It seems that fewer and fewer students are turning in their eligibility forms for free and reduced meals, making it hard to separate real need from simple expedience – and for the city to get reimbursed from the federal government.
Young noted to Yonkers School Board President Steve Lopez that the suspicion is some kids aren't paying because they know they don't have to.
"They do have to," Lopez said, "but some kids aren't paying, which is a difference."
The irony is that families who actually are eligible for the service might not be applying for fear of being deported.
"We do have families that may feel that providing us information may result in their being reported to other agencies," Quezada said.
The district is examining ways to compel all students to file eligibility forms, assure undocumented immigrants that they will not be deported, and continue to feed the students – who need food to think and learn.
Of the 27,000 students enrolled in Yonkers Public Schools, officials estimate two thirds, or 18,000, are believed to be eligible for free or reduced-cost meals.
