That's a good thing, because research has shown that a student who eats a nutritious meal has a better chance to succeed in class and life.
Pretty much gone are the days when children brought their lunches to school in a Scooby-Doo lunch box containing the usual peanut butter and jelly sandwich and thermos of milk to wash it down.
Today, students are likely to be offered a wide variety of healthy foods and snacks in the school cafeteria at little or no cost.
That's a good thing, because research has shown that a student who eats a nutritious meal has a better chance to succeed in class and life.
But this emphasis on healthy school meals has made the job of the cafeteria managers more challenging. Despite massive federal subsidies, these managers still depend on parents to pay their children's lunch tabs to help pay for increased food and labor costs.
It is not unusual for schools to send parents reminders that Johnny is delinquent on paying his lunch bill.
But the East Windsor Regional Schools district has taken this polite reminder to a new level. Parents in the district may be reported to the state Department of Children and Families if they ignore repeated warnings to pay their child's overdue lunch account, under a new policy.
This measure to collect unpaid balances is both draconian and presumptive. What is the state agency that handles child neglect cases to do? Put the lunch delinquents in foster care?
Granted, there are some parents who shirk their responsibilities to make sure their kids pay their lunch bills or return their library books. But several warning followed perhaps by a small fine should suffice. And if a family finds the district's tab of less than $3 for a full lunch too onerous, chances are good that their children are eligible for the free lunch program.
The push for more nutritious foods in our schools has been championed by first lady Michelle Obama, who has made it her mission to ensure that children are offered both fruits and vegetables every day of the week in schools. Her efforts led to her husband signing the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which calls for improving the critical nutrition and hunger safety net for the millions of children served by the school breakfast and lunch programs.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, for the 2014 fiscal year, 30.5 million participated in the National School Lunch Program and the Breakfast Program served 13.6 million participants.
The importance of students being properly fed has not escaped New Jersey's lawmakers. Earlier this year, Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill that says school districts cannot refuse to serve students breakfast or lunch, no matter how delinquent their payment accounts are, without first notifying parents.
The East Windsor district follows the state notification rules, but the threat of reporting parents to the DCF for not paying lunch tabs is a step too far.