Itawamba schools back off peanut butter lunch for nonpaying students

MANTACHIE, Miss. - The Itawamba County School District for now has backed off the serving of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to students who were behind in lunch money payments.

Complaints arose this past week after some Mantachie Attendance Center students had their regular food taken away from them and thrown away, and then were given sandwiches because of unpaid lunch balances.

"We think it's a tragedy for a student to be humiliated to the point of having their food taken away from them," said Mantachie Parent-Teacher Organization President Sid Kirksey.

Superintendent of Education F.G. Wiygul Jr. apologized for any embarrassment to the students. He said school board will discuss the matter at its Jan. 17 meeting. Until then, said Wiygul, children will be served their lunches as usual, regardless of the account balance.

Wiygul said the district cafeteria program had $13,300 in unpaid lunch accounts as of June 30, 2004.

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/politics/10599034.htm

Via Jesus' General, who writes...

A real life lesson on life in the Ownership Society

F. G. Wiygul, Jr., Superintendent
Itawamba County School District

Dear Mr. Wiygul,

I envy the people of Itawamba County, Mississippi. It must be nice to live in one of the reddest state's reddest counties, a place where Our Leader beat his opponent by over forty points. A win like that means you can implement Our Leader's vision with a ferocity that can't be exercised elsewhere. I thank the Lord that you've chosen to do just that.

I'm referring to the method you are employing to teach the children of your schools the harsh, but important, realities of life in the Ownership Society. By wresting poor children's lunches out of their hands and replacing them with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, you gave these children a lesson they'll never forget. The shame and humiliation they felt will surely prod them into escaping their poverty by investing sensibly in mutual funds.

The other children certainly learned from this exercise as well. When they saw what happens to kids whose parents fall behind on lunch payments, they learned the importance of paying one's bills on time. When they grow up, I doubt a single one of them will be late making a credit card payment.

You're doing great things there in Itawamba County. I hope you're documenting it, so that you can share what you've learned with the rest of the nation.

Heterosexually yours,

Gen. JC Christian, patriot
http://patriotboy.blogspot.com/2005_01_09_patriotboy_archive.html#110525688482666520

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