Without paperwork, school lunch free in Boston

[Gormy Cuss]

25. Did you qualify for free or reduced meals when you were in school?

Trust me, getting the free or reduced price was observed by others and was very much a reason that we were stigmatized by other students, by cafeteria workers, and unfortunately also by some teachers. My elementary and junior high schools' populations were majority eligible for reduced or free meals and we were STILL stigmatized. Those who tried to stigmatize us were fond of the "hard work" cudgel too. That's "treating them like dirt," not letting them think the food is free. By teenage years many of us just stop eating the hot lunches and usually just skipped lunch altogether. That's my anecdote but the formal research shows that this is common.

Diverting the funds away from school meal programs would not result in a net benefit to their families. All it would do is making it less likely that they would receive decent meals during the school day.

Again though, why is it these professional teachers can't explain in an age appropriate manner that this free meal comes to them via the social safety net? Unless the teachers are forbidden from doing so, the teachers should have the skills to educate these children about the meals program.