How NC law strengthens lunch shaming prevention; how schools are responding

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- North Carolina lawmakers have made it harder for school districts to intentionally or unintentionally cause a student to be lunch shamed.

As part of the $34.4 billion budget that Governor Josh Stein into law in July, there was a rule included that took at direct aim at schools to serve meals equally to prevent lunch shaming.

No Lunch Shaming Policies

The law states that schools must have a policy to provide the same meal options to all students regardless of lunch debt status.

Additionally, schools may not do the following:

• Serve alternative meals because of unpaid balances

• Penalize students because their meal account has a deficit

• Treat students differently based on whether they receive free/reduced-price meals

In the past, some school districts were accused of singling out students whose parents who owed lunch debt by stamping their hand or serving them something other than what was on the daily menu.

ABC11 checked with two of central North Carolina's largest districts Wake County (WCPSS) and Durham Public Schools (DPS) and learned both have had policies in place to prevent lunch shaming.

• WCPSS leaders say lunch shaming has not been an issue since 2024 when they ended the practice of serving separate meals to students. Wake schools also has an Angel Fund where anyone can donate money to help pay down the lunch debt.

• DPS says they have always served all students the same meal. Their breakfast and lunch programs are all free and federally funded

• Orange County Schools (OCS) says they served all students same meals since 2021

What Exactly is Lunch Shaming?

Lunch shaming is the practice of publicly embarrassing or stigmatizing students whose school meal accounts have a negative balance or unpaid debt, as defined by the National Education Association (NEA).

Emory Law has a similar definition: Lunch shaming is the practice of penalizing students who cannot afford to pay for their meals, resulting in them being denied food, served alternative meals, or publicly identified. The origins of lunch shaming can be traced to the financial pressures faced by school districts that struggle to balance tight budgets with the mandate to provide free or reduced-price meals to eligible students.

NC Expands Free School Meal Opportunities

The budget calls for support of schools participating in the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program. This allows qualifying schools to provide free meals to all students and in return the state will:

• Supplement federal meal reimbursements

• Prioritize schools with higher concentrations of low-income students

• Encourage innovative breakfast programs

Flawed School Funding

The American Bar Association (ABA says that lunch shaming is the result of the way schools fund their breakfast and lunch programs. According to the ABA, state and federal government agencies place students into two categories: those who qualify for assistance under the USDA program's guidelines and those who must pay the set price for school-provided meals.

However, the ABA believes many students fall into a third category. Many family incomes exceed the thresholds set by the school lunch programs and those families cannot afford to pay for their school meals.

While every state operates some form of school lunch program, many of these programs are "optional and self-supporting," according to the ABA. This prevents them from receiving government funding, although they may accept federal and state cash aid, federal commodities, and charitable donations.

Preventing lunch shaming

Many states are taking steps to eliminate lunch shaming and ensure that all students receive nutritious meals regardless of parents' income.

North Carolina has now made it a law.