Phoenix teachers, principal dig deep into their own pockets to ensure students don’t go hungry
Inflation and funding are taking a toll on Arizona schools, forcing one charter school to provide meals for students out of their teacher's pockets.
Watch: Paul Calvisi on Cardinals' preseason standouts and Larry Fitzgerald’s Hall of Fame legacy | 8 mins
PHOENIX — Inflation and funding are taking a toll on Arizona schools, forcing one charter school to provide meals for students out of their teachers’ pockets.
“Historically smaller schools have smaller budgets and we have to operate within those needs,” City View High School Principal Dr. Laura Metcalfe told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Outspoken with Bruce & Gaydos.
City View High School has only 53 students, but some students rely on the school for meals they can’t get at home.
“Meals are very expensive no matter where they are and people need to eat, including our students,” Metcalfe said.
She said the issue is a bigger problem for smaller schools that just don’t get enough funding to provide adequate food.
She made it a priority to solve the problem when she became principal in June.
Teachers make do with what they have
“Staff, administration, leadership, we all pitch in,” said Social Support Manager Lisa Moreno. “We are getting donations. Our social services manager last year would be making meals from home, like chili, think things you could make in a crock pot, and bring those to school and help feed the children that way.”
The school doing the best it can with plug-in appliances and two microwaves.
Moreno said having a kitchen would go a long way.
St. Mary’s Food Bank has supplied some snacks and meals but the school is seeking a more permanent solution.
Metcalfe said that $15,000 would be enough to feed the kids for the whole school year.
She said she personally contributed a couple hundred dollars so far this year to keep kids fed.
“I’d say that’s a good estimate for just about every staff member there,” Moreno added.
For those looking to donate to the school lunch fund, click on the link here.
Related
Arizona education advocate leans on personal experience while pushing for college access
Future of Arizona's education: Customization and integrating technology
Teacher returns to profession after COVID-19 shortage, wins $2,500 award from Bruce & Gaydos
Peoria resident struck and killed by train in Flagstaff, police say
Traditional plastic forks shed harmful microplastics. Plastic created from sugar is an alternative
Taylor Farms recalls jalapeno products over salmonella concerns
Comments
13 Comments
Trump and his goons have been working hard at sabotaging and destroying our public schools.. don’t be fooled, they couldn’t care less about the students.
53 students in an area populated by millions is not a school. It's some liberals hobby. You get $440k from government funding and have 15 people on staff. That's less than $30k each. Nobody involved here ever listened to anything in any business course they had to take. It takes money away from actual schools. Let me guess, you take wayward students and let them take easy classes to claim they have a high school education to fool the McDonalds manager.
$15k to get everyone fed and ready to go to learn at school. That's like three fraudulent ESA vouchers. It's nothing.
Only proof that making other's lives hard is sport for the "compassionate" mainstream republicans.
If it weren't for their affection for raping them, I doubt Republicans would even care that children exist.