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Obviously the main beef here is with the mylunchmoney website, but I can see your frustration with the school. They ought to know that kids don't always remember to tell their parents things like "I'm almost out of money" (kids don't really have a concept that everything has to be paid for), and maybe there should be some other kind of reminder that goes directly to you, instead of a sticker that a kid is likely to lose.
If it will ease your mind, do contact the principal.
You'd think that the system would give a little and let you go about $5 into the negative for a certain amount of time (e.g. 1 week). This way there would be no valid excuse when this happens to your child. Or even better, an automated email/call/text message each time the child buys lunch while under a certain threshold.
If you do decide to contact the school regarding this situation, you may want to suggest a "pay it forward" program.
I'm not sure of the specific name of the program in our school but it was Lunch Angles or something to that effect.
Basically, the main office paid for your child's lunch if they forgot or were low on funds. A note went home with your child that same day explaining that an angel had paid for their meal so they didn't go hungry, and requested that you "pay it forward" for the next child that forgets their lunch.
We were thankful they had this in place one day when my oldest son forgot his backpack in the car (I went to work and didn't realize he had left it behind).
The next day I sent in enough for 2 lunches, realizing that probably not everyone pays it back.
I'm sorry your child had to go through that. He must have been pretty hungry when he got home!
I just wanted to add that we use mylunchmoney.com as well and I have set it up so that it automatically charges a CC when we get to $5 in the account. On the days they purchase lunch, I don't even have to question if there is money there.
The MyLunchMoney.com site is a private company, independent from the schools. MyLunchMoney.com can be set up to send you an alert when the account gets low, or to automatically re-draft money into the account when it gets below a certain threshold. The main reason I use this pay site instead of just putting money into the regular school accounts is because it was almost impossible to find out how much was in their lunch money account, and this way you dont need to bring a check to the cafeteria.
Again, I'm not asking to be a smart @ss, but when I was in elementary/middle/high school we either took our lunch or took cash. Do they no longer accept cash anymore in schools or is it all credit based? I have no kids currently in any school system so thats why I ask.
Again, I'm not asking to be a smart @ss, but when I was in elementary/middle/high school we either took our lunch or took cash. Do they no longer accept cash anymore in schools or is it all credit based? I have no kids currently in any school system so thats why I ask.
I had the same exact thing happen to my son at HolLy Springs elementary. I got the email from mylunchmoney.com 6 days ago stating that the account would be credited the next day. Monday they took his full plate of food and threw it in the garbage when he got to the cashier! Luckily his teacher saw what was happening and gave him money! So I printed out the email with the confirmation # and told his teacher to give it to the lunch nazis today, and they said there still isn't money in his acct! the thing that pisses me off is they admitted they know there is a problem with mylunchmoney.com, but still took his perfectly good lunch and threw it in the garbage! From now on I'm sending a check!
Wow, if this is true, it is absoluteley crazy. Regardless of the circumstance (and I fully understand they have to draw the line somewhere or people would just not deal with it in a timely manner), how can they just take a plate of food and toss it in the garbage. What kind of example does that set for kids?
OP I totally understand your point! I've been there. I also get why the school has to have that rule, I was on the PTA and heard all about the issues schools face.
First, the mylunchmoney site is awesome! It can be set up to draft money from your credit card to your child's account automatically and notifies you when the balance is low and when it has transferred money to the school. Note: there is always a fews days delay in the school receiving it.
Anyhow, it beats having to go into the cafeteria with a check or remembering to give your child money every day. Let's face it, even the smartest kid often forgets they have money on them for lunch.
So, to get around your problem, do as I did, make sure you set up the minimum account balance for your child's account to cover 2 weeks of lunches in case there is a glitch on the school side or Mylunchmoney. After doing this, I never had another problem with it. While my child now takes her lunch, I keep some money in the account in case she needs anything, loses or drops her lunch, needs to share with a friend, etc..
As for the issue with the school. While it appears to be a district rule, cafeteria mgrs have lattitude. I've seen some more flexible than others. Some schools have a PTA fund at the office your child can borrow from. They'll be sent home with a note explaining what happened and that you should repay the office fund the next day.
Clearly your child's school went by the book! My school did too when I had been notified by mylunch money that they'd transferred $50 into child's acct, yet 3 days later it still wasn't in there. While you can certainly talk with the school, I'll tell you that you don't have a leg to stand on, and involving the principal isn't the best thing to do.
And for the folks who have no sympathy, have you eaten a school lunch lately? lovely canned vegs, soft and mushy, yummy
Older kids I can understand but to punish a Kindergartner for no fault of his is so not fair. I fully empathise with you OP. You should talk to the Principal to see how such things need to be handled.
If you forget to pay the power and the lights get turned off who's fault is it? You forgot to pay, your fault....simple as that.
John
Ummm...they send an adult a personal notice through the mail before they turn off the lights. They don't give a five year old asticker and expect them to get it to their parents. .
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