Portland Public Schools Has Cow Over Kids' Debt, Cuts Milk Sales

PORTLAND, OR – Citing student debt and a new state law preventing staff from discussing meal accounts with students, Portland Public Schools say that they are no longer selling individual milk cartons to students. The change started when the school year began last week.

Students will still be able to get milk with meals that are purchased by kids or are a part of the district's free and reduced lunch program.

Cartons of milk had cost 50 cents each, according to the district. Get all the latest information on what's happening in your community by signing up for Patch's newsletters and breaking news alerts.

"We have stopped selling a la carte milk cartons this year, and we understand this change is disappointing to some students and families," according to the district's director of strategic communications and outreach, Harry Esteve, told Patch.

Esteve says that the problem is a new state law – Oregon House Bill 3454 – which he says prevents PPS staff from talking about meal accounts with students.

"This has resulted in growing unpaid meal debt, and a la carte milk sales contribute to that debt," Esteve says. He said that students had accumulated $200,000 in debt for the district but that they didn't readily have a break down of how much debt is attributed to milk sales.

The bill was passed last year as part of an effort to end what had become known as "lunch shaming" in which students who couldn't afford lunch were given less-nutritious meals or forced to wear wristbands or stickers.

Parents were told about the change in milk sales before the year started, according to Esteve who adds that the district will evaluate the decision as the year goes on.

Photo via PPS.