A mother in Orange City says her daughter was denied lunch at her high school because she was short 15 cents.
Kimberly Aiken says her daughter, a sophomore at University High School, tried to buy lunch on her first day of school and was told her account balance was short 15 cents. The student is registered for the school’s free and reduced-cost lunch program, but it “hasn’t taken effect yet,” according to the mother.
When the student told the cashier she did not have money to settle the debt from last school year, the worker threw the food in the trash, according to Aiken.
A spokesman for Volusia County Public Schools said the school system would be contacting the family to resolve the issue.
When Aiken’s daughter brought a quarter to school on Wednesday to settle the balance, she was told the 15-cent shortage was “taken care of.”