homework - No More Free Lunch for Students

Click HERE to watch the video. Read the story. Answer the questions.

Story:

New York City (5/19/2010) - There's no free lunch in the public schools anymore -- at least for principals who now have to pay when the kids don't.The federal government pays for 73 percent of students. The rest are supposed to pay $1.50, but many don't and get fed anyway.

The Department of Education says it's no longer willing to foot the bill --They lost $7 million last year alone -- and recently emailed 500 principals to say their school budgets will be docked the outstanding lunch fees.


The DOE says it lost $35 million from 2004 to 2009 from uncollected lunch fees. But principals NY1 spoke with say the system puts too much responsibility on the schools. They say they can't afford to have their budgets docked for continuing to feed students when parents don't send money.

While many principals have written letters to the DOE objecting to the new policy, the department says it's now each school's responsibility to either collect the money, take it out of their school budget, or stop giving away meals altogether.

So when your teacher gives you the paper for your parent to fill out to get the free lunch, you need to bring it back or else you might not get lunch!

Questions:

1) Where did this story take place?

2) When did this story take place?

3) How much does school lunch cost?

4) How much money did the DOE lose last year because the students did not pay?

5) Who is going to have to pay if the money is not collected?

6) What do you think, if a student does not have $1.50, should the school leave him hungry?

Info from NY1