© 2024 | Jefferson Public Radio
Southern Oregon University
1250 Siskiyou Blvd.
Ashland, OR 97520
541.552.6301 | 800.782.6191
a service of Southern Oregon University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Oregon House Votes To End 'Lunch Shaming'

File photo. A bill in the Oregon House aims to prevent so-called ''lunch shamin'' in Oregon Schools.
woodleywonderworks
/
Flickr- tinyurl.com/ybsfrgs2
File photo. A bill in the Oregon House aims to prevent so-called ''lunch shamin'' in Oregon Schools.

The Oregon House unanimously passed a bill Wednesday that aims to prevent so-called “lunch shaming” in Oregon Schools.


The bill requires that unless a student’s parent or guardian has provided written permission, kids in Oregon must be provided with a meal under the USDA’s school lunch program regardless of whether the student has money or owes money for meals.

“There are some school districts, which do do the stamp – they put a stamp on the kids’ hand, so that when the kid goes home, the parents see that and say ‘Oh, I need to get that lunch bill.’ Other kids know that and so it’s caused some repercussions,” said bill cosponsor, Republican Rep. Mike McLane of Powell Butte.

If Gov. Kate Brown signs it, the bill would prohibit school staff from publicly identifying students who owe lunch money. Staff would have to determine if students were eligible for free or discounted lunches if they owed money for five or more meals.

Copyright 2017 Northwest News Network

Emily Schwing
Emily Schwing comes to the Inland Northwest by way of Alaska, where she covered social and environmental issues with an Arctic spin as well as natural resource development, wildlife management and Alaska Native issues for nearly a decade. Her work has been heard on National Public Radio’s programs like “Morning Edition” and “All things Considered.” She has also filed for Public Radio International’s “The World,” American Public Media’s “Marketplace,” and various programs produced by the BBC and the CBC. She has also filed stories for Scientific American, Al Jazeera America and Arctic Deeply.