Education Law

Food for free?

That's not quite how school cafeterias aim to operate. BoardBuzz has covered before the struggle many schools are facing as the cost of food grows higher and higher , making it more difficult to serve healthy and complete meals. Yet, The Washington Post alerted us to another way school nutrition programs are losing money... theft!

Schools in Fairfax County, Va. have reported losing $1.2 million worth of prepared food within their school system. And with times already being tight, frustrated schools are trying to find solutions to keep hamburgers, wraps, French fries and other favorite treats from walking out of the cafeteria unpaid for.

A handful of high school and secondary schools have been selected to try-out cafeteria cameras for one year. Officials hope that these lunch-line surveillance cameras will prevent opportunities to steal and discourage students from swiping free snacks.

Penny McConnell, director of food and nutrition services, said she hopes the cameras will curb theft and send a message to students that stealing from the cafeteria is no less serious than shoplifting from a store. "I would hate for them to make this a habit and take it into the community," she said. "They could get themselves into some serious situations that could impact their futures."

BoardBuzz wants what is best for both schools and students: healthy meals and affordable prices. We are curious to see how the cameras work out and hope that cafeterias don't lose any more money during these tight times.

Full post as published by BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog on August 07, 2008 (boomark / email).