After a student was visibly marked with a "lunch money" stamp [1] in Arizona, New Mexico announced the Hunger-Free Students' Bill of Rights, which will officially make "lunch shaming" against the law [2]. Soon, the USDA will require all schools to put lunch policies in writing to avoid any more of these incidents.
Because what happens when a child doesn't have money for lunch is up to individual schools, right now, some of those policies include [3] stamping their wrists, serving them cheese sandwiches, making students work for their food, and even denying them of a meal completely. By July 1, all public schools in the country will have to share with staff, parents, and the community their policies [4] on what to do when a child can't pay for their lunch, and the transparency will hopefully inspire schools to reevaluate their potentially negative plans of action [5].
"We're saying feed these children first, and let the grown-ups sort out the finances," Jennifer Ramo, executive director of the anti-hunger group, New Mexico Appleseed [7], told NPR. "I'm hoping communities really put pressure on their own districts to say, 'We want our children fed.'"