Giving new meaning the phrase “no free lunch,” school officials in Cranston, Rhode Island hired a private debt collector to compel parents to pay up on delinquent lunch money accounts.

Chief Operating Officer Raymond L. Votto, Jr. sent a letter to all parents in the district, informing them the district has hired Transworld Systems, a Delaware-based debt collector, to recover tens of thousands of dollars owed for school lunches

The school district located in suburban Providence, Rhode Island, serves approximately 11,000 students in 24 schools with grades pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district reported its 2018-19 budget at $157,579,491. The district allocates approximately $5,572 per pupil for instructional expenses.

Under the existing school lunch policy, parents are encouraged to prepay for lunches or to pay in cash on a daily basis. Children who didn’t pay were given meals and asked to make reimbursement within two days. Households that qualify for reduced or free lunch programs were asked to apply for the program…..more here