MIFFLNTOWN — Is it fair that some students eat breakfast in the classroom and some don’t?

Concerned parent Georgia Wynn argued to the Juniata County School District Board of directors during its meeting Thursday that it isn’t.

Wynn, who has an elementary-age child in the district, said she gives her child breakfast before school and that students who participate in breakfast at school should be eating in the cafeteria

“The problem I am experiencing right now is my child…is caused emotional distress by having to watch other students eat items in front of him in the classroom.”

Now that the elementary schools have new cafeterias, Wynn asked why they weren’t being utilized for breakfast.

“My family is on a budget and that budget does not include spending (extra) money on breakfast each day. It is unfair and wrong in many ways for students to eat in the classroom.”

In her research, Wynn said she found information about a Community Eligibility Provision that allows low-income schools to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students and asked why the district was not utilizing it, even though they were eligible.

Business manager Richard Meily stated, however, that it was not feasible for the district to utilize such a program and that it was voted down by the school board.

“We would only receive subsidy for students who qualify for free lunches. For us, that would be roughly a loss of $370,000 to the cafeteria. Districts that have implemented this procedure have seen ala carte sales plummet to almost nothing because parents aren’t putting money into the students’ accounts and they can’t purchase the additional items,” he said. “From lunch sales alone, we would be looking at a 3.2 percent tax increase to every taxpayer. If you factored in ala carte sales, it would be substantially higher than that and under the constraints of the Act 1 Index, you couldn’t even raise taxes enough to cover implementing this program.”

Meily said the decision for students to eat breakfast in the classroom — rather than the cafeteria — was a financial one.

“It is my understanding that students are eating in the classrooms because participation increases when students have the ability to take their stuff with them to homeroom and we’ve seen an increase in sales. Quite honestly, it was a financial decision that the school board approved.”

Wynn argued that the board was more concerned about finances than about the individual students.

“It’s a lot of peer pressure for these students to be eating in the classroom in front of other kids…I don’t think anybody here likes to walk in somewhere and smell food and watch someone else eating — and you’re doing this to children.”

Board member Angela Varner said she agreed with Wynn, but the decision came down to finances.

“It is a balancing act. We don’t want to raise taxes and we want to keep programs.”

Board member Heather Kelly said this was the first she had heard of a child being caused emotional distress related to other students eating breakfast in the classroom.

“Frankly, most of the kids that are doing this are free or reduced lunch and other kids can eat at home,” she said. “I would be trying to educate my kids on that fact that this is something these families need. I think it’s an educational opportunity for kids, too, because life is not equitable. Some people get their food at home because the family can do it. Some people don’t. Not all of life is equal.”

Wynn asked then why students could not eat breakfast in the cafeteria.

East Juniata Elementary School Principal Clint Mitchell said eating breakfast in the cafeteria would pose a logistical challenge due to the volume of students who participate.

Kelly also explained that the consolidation multiplied the number of students who are in each elementary school, adding that accommodations might instead be considered for her child.

Wynn continued, saying young children “are not in the mentality to be able to deal with this on a regular basis. Kindergarteners are not at a maturity level to be able to do that.”

In relate news, the board accepted two donations from members of the public who requested to help purchase lunches for students who could not afford them. Meily said if a student who walks through the lunch line has a negative balance, the cost of the meal will be taken out of the donated balance.

The board also approved a motion stating that delinquent lunch accounts in excess of $100 will be submitted to J.P. Harris Associates for collection.

The board noted in a previous meeting that there were more than $18,000 in unpaid lunch bills.