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Mrs. Della Curry’s contract with Dakota Valley Elementary School was terminated as she gave away free meals to the school’s students.
After one year on the job and faced with a flawed state policy concerning students’ meals, Della Curry was fired because she voluntarily gave students who did not meet the requirements or had forgotten their lunch money free meals. Often paid for from her own pocket.
The mother of two, Mrs. Curry declared that she would do the same all over again if given the choice as she finds the state policy deeply flawed and profit oriented.
In order for children to qualify for the free lunch program in the Cherry Creek District, a family of four cannot exceed an annual income of 31,000 dollars. For a family with an income of 45,000 dollars, there is a discounted lunch program option.
Della Curry was the supervisor of food preparation in the Dakota Valley School, Aurora until last week. She declared for the press:
“I had a first grader in front of me, crying, because she doesn’t have enough money for lunch. Yes, I gave her lunch”.
This is a practice that Mrs. Curry is not repentant about. Families that do not meet the district requirements are often seeing their children receiving a cheese sandwich and a milk carton. Della Curry strongly believes that is not proper nourishment.
And although she is aware of the fact that it is illegal to offer meals to children, she would keep paying for the children’s lunch if she were in the same position.
According to the former supervisor’s Facebook account, her contract was by no means terminated by the Dakota Valley School, but by the Food and Nutrition Services of the Cherry Creek District.
In reply, Della Curry also commented that it is beyond her understanding how is it possible that in the best country in the world a cheese sandwich is considered proper children nutrition. Also, critical comments were made as to the thorns at the heart of the problem: how can the district not provide meals for the children unless they meet strict financial requirements.
The reply of officials of the Cherry Creek School District was not tardive in responding that there is no legal obligation for the district to be paying meals for children who simply forgot their lunch money.
Adding that, the first three times that such an event occurs, the children are given hot meals, while their parents’ account are being of course, charged. The fourth time however, the cheese sandwich accompanied by the milk carton appears on their trays.
Della Curry is now actively fighting for this absurd policy to be changed. At the same time, Mrs. Curry says she has no regrets although she is aware that the employer’s legal guidelines were breached when she offered children meals.
Image Source: huffpost.com
