Signs About Unpaid Lunch Balances Removed At Westport School

WESTPORT, CT — A misunderstanding led to some confusion last week at Staples High School regarding students with negative lunch balances receiving their cap and gown for graduation, however school officials have since clarified no student will have those items withheld if they owe money for lunch.

The confusion was a result of signs posted in the cafeteria last week.

According to a May 15 Instagram post by Inklings News, the school's student newspaper, the signs said "Attention all seniors! Two things will happen if you have a negative lunch balance ... 1. You will not receive your graduation cap & gown! 2. You will not be allowed to purchase ANY items except for a basic lunch! Please make your life easier by paying up NOW!"

Assistant Principal Jim Farnen said the signs were not approved by school officials and was instead the result of a misunderstanding on the part of Chartwells dining services.

"Someone from Chartwells posted the sign without running it by the administration," Farnen said. "I know those folks scramble every year to make sure that lunch balances are taken care of, but we do not withhold caps and gowns or anything of that nature to make sure those balances are rectified."

Farnen said the school's principal, James D’Amico, addressed the issue once administration became aware of the signs and they were promptly taken down. Chartwells is a private business operator that operates the school's lunch and breakfast programs.

According to Farnen, students will often have accountability for various things, such as lost textbooks or unpaid parking tickets, that need to be rectified before the year closes. The school will typically send out messages online to students and parents reminding them to rectify these issues, however the school will not withhold someone from graduating or prevent them from eating based on any outstanding lunch balances.

"The fact of the matter is we’re not going to let kids go hungry," Farnen said. "If anybody needs assistance, Mr. D’Amico works out a plan or works out something with them to make sure it gets squared away and Chartwells gets paid, but there aren’t any negative repercussions for kids."

Fernan said D'Amico has also assured no future signs will be put up without administration's knowledge.

"It was a misunderstanding, but we’re glad it was brought to our attention.," Fernan said. "We’ll work with Chartwells next year to make sure those accounts are taken care of without signs going up that we don’t know about."