FBISD changes school lunch policy to get parents to pay up

FORT BEND (FOX 26) - Fort Bend ISD's Child Nutrition Department is program is $400,000 dollars in the red because parents aren't paying their bills.

The school district is implementing a new policy Monday, May 2 that says students owing $35 dollars or more on the Child Nutrition account will not be served hot breakfasts or lunches.
Ft. Bend ISD says, instead, those students will be served courtesy meals of cold cereal and milk for breakfast, and a cheese sandwich and milk for lunch.

Fox26 talked to several Fort Bend ISD parents who said they weren't sure they liked the idea of kids getting such minimal meals, but they understand the district wanting to get paid.

"This is the type of district that wants to please everybody and we don't want any of our kids to go hungry," one parent told us. "But sometimes parents take advantage of that."

Fort Bend ISD says about 1,600 families are running negative balances as high as $300.  They say these are not families in the free or reduced price meal program. The district wants families to know the students impacted by this new policy could still get a hot meal at the school by paying cash.