One out of every six children in the U.S. is food insecure, i.e., does not know when they will get their next meal.

I agree that lunches should not be taken away and that a child should not be “shamed” for unpaid debt. But not allowing a substitute sandwich?! Amid all of this conversation about “lunch shaming” and “unpaid school lunch debt,” the real issue is HUNGRY CHILDREN.

What do you do when you are a school administrator or teacher and you know you have hungry children—and you cannot give them a lunch or provide a substitute? For me, as a former principal, the issue is not just a legal or financial one, but a moral and emotional one.

Hunger is a thief. It robs you of everything—the ability to think, the ability to learn, the inclination to civility. It is a driving, unrelenting force. If you are a child, it robs you of meeting developmental and learning needs, builds anxiety, promotes poor health, and impacts physical development.

Will there be a forced choice now? Will the only option for children be hunger?