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It Starts Young in Florida

Kids are heading back to class at Lawton Chiles Middle Academy, a public school in Lakeland. But parents are upset with the local Parent-Teacher-Student Association, which sent a letter to parents asking for support. At the $100 level, the PTSA said, parents get their name on the PTSA web site, invitations to PTSA events, “AND [a] front of the lunch line pass.” Parent Chris Stephenson notes that “Polk County has a very high rate of food insecurity when it comes to kids. With middle school already being a very contentious age, with hormones and everything else, the last thing you really want to do is add a food hierarchy on top of that.” After the principal said he had not approved such an offer and the school would not allow such line cutting, PTSA president Jil Bevis claimed that the form was sent to parents “due to a clerical error.” (RC/WFLA Tampa) ...Right: it wasn’t meant to be sent to all parents, just the rich ones.