I want to address your article in the Maries County Advocate on July 12, concerning the lunch program at Maries R-1.
I see no problem with the small price increase on lunches. If the parents are unhappy with the prices or the food choices, they can send lunches to school with their children. Students have probably always complained about cafeteria food and probably always will.
If parents need free or reduced price lunches for their children, can’t Maries R-1 mail them a form to fill out before school starts? I believe other schools do this. Can’t Maries R-1 contact the state and get them involved?
I don’t believe the district should terminate the current cafeteria staff. I believe they would be more responsive to the district and the students than contracted meal service employees would be.
I have absolutely nothing against peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but if I had a child attending Maries R-1, I would absolutely NOT want him or her to be embarrassed by being treated differently from the other students.
As a former teacher, I believe every student should be able to feel good about himself or herself.
I gave a contribution to the lunch program last year, and I probably will this year if I see a concerted effort to work out the problems. If I can contribute to Feed the Children, Food for the Poor, and similar other organizations, I can surely contribute to Maries R-1 students. According to The Advocate, Fred and Kay Ragan also made a nice contribution. There may have been others who made contributions and preferred to remain anonymous. I am sure there are other individuals in the Vienna area who could afford to make a contribution.
In my opinion, the Maries R-1 School Board of Education has to spend an inordinate amount of time discussing school lunches each year.
Sincerely,
Mary Halbrook
