XVII. Governor Snyder’s Policy to Deny Students Breakfast and Lunch is Harmful to Minority Students
SUMMARY
DPS students have been denied food when food could have been made available to them.
On April 27, 2015 School Board learned from a complainant that when Davis Aerospace students transferred to
the Golightly culinary school they were not provided lunch. They also could not eat lunch prepared at home,
inside the school building. Students were ordered off campus to find food. Many students were not from the
neighborhood and were afraid to venture out in an unfamiliar territory in Detroit. Many students transferred
from the school rather than take chances.
This is not the only incident of Michigan school children being denied meals. At Mumford High School, an
EAA school, the doors are locked in the morning and late students are not admitted. However, the many school
closures has meant minority children are traveling farther distances, taking sometimes more than one city bus to
get to school. This is a burden on minority students compared to student travel in white districts. Detroit City
buses are notorious for having breakdowns. When a bus is late, the student is late. Many students are poor and
benefit from the school lunch/breakfast program.
This is not limited to high schools. Buses break down for special education students also. When school buses
break down, or there is another factor that the bus arrives late, disabled students of all grade levels are denied
food.
These actions are negligent, and particularly the instance at Davis, breach parent trust in the Detroit’s
educational system as run by the Governor.
ADVERSE IMPACT
The actions described do not meet the stated educational goals of the Governor. The national school breakfast
and lunch programs exist to make sure that school children across the country receive a nutritious lunch every
day. Studies show that when a child’s nutritional needs are met they are more attentive in class and have better
attendance. Detroit is one of the poorest communities in the nation. Wholesale denial of food for reasons
beyond their control is cruel and this policy under the management of Governor Snyder’s emergency managers
injures and places an undue burden on minority students.
DISPARITY
These complaints come from a minority community where a great majority of students qualify for the free lunch
program.
NO BENEFIT
Every student in the city gets free breakfast and lunch in the Detroit Public Schools because the district is
considered free and reduced lunch eligible as the community qualifies as a majority impoverished district. In
some cases students are given dinner if they are in after school credit recovery program. So there was no cost
savings. Many of the funds to provide lunch workers come from Title I and other Federal programs which
would be available for students moving from one school to the other. The policy not to feed them created no
savings to the District. Food is already purchased, wastes money. Food not eaten is discarded. At Davis, food
for the students could have been easily arranged and it was negligent not to make those arrangements in time for
school to start. To fail in this regard is negligent and injurious.
ALTERNATIVE
Principals should make food available to all students when they are delayed by school bus, city bus. Do not
force students off campus to find food.
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