Friday, February 11, 2011

Duncan Offers a Sneak Peek at Obama's 2012 Budget - Politics K-12 - Education Week

Duncan Offers a Sneak Peek at Obama's 2012 Budget - Politics K-12 - Education Week

Free school lunches not forever: Mayor says budget may force all kids to pay up

Saturday, February 12th 2011, 4:00 AM

With $2.5 million in school lunch balances overdue this year, Mayor Bloomberg Friday acknowledged the city may have to eventually cut off kids who don't pay.
Showalter for News
With $2.5 million in school lunch balances overdue this year, Mayor Bloomberg Friday acknowledged the city may have to eventually cut off kids who don't pay.

For city students, there may someday be no such thing as a free lunch.

With $2.5 million in school lunch balances overdue this year, Mayor Bloomberg Friday acknowledged the city may have to eventually cut off kids who don't pay.

"Well, it may be we get to that. It may be we get to that," Bloomberg said, responding to WOR-AM radio host John Gambling's suggestion that students "don't get lunch unless (they) pay."

Faced with mounting fees, Department of Education officials told principals last year that they had to collect the money - or it would be deducted from their budgets.

After principals complained about becoming bill collectors, officials extended the deadline to Feb. 16. But the city this week pushed the deadline back again."We're



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2011/02/11/2011-02-11_free_school_lunches_not_forever_mayor_says_budget_may_force_all_kids_to_pay_up.html#ixzz1DhDvfpFK