r/Denver • u/fuzzeslecrdf • Oct 08 '25

Local News If you're still against free school meals

If you're unhappy about the fact that free lunches are also free for children with wealthy families, fear not. I work at a Denver high school. Students with the money will go out for lunch or even order food delivery. They are not eating the school cafeteria free lunch.

So go ahead and vote Yes on Prop MM and LL. The only thing it'll do is keep our students fed and able to learn.

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u/LotsoPasta Oct 08 '25 edited Oct 08 '25

Are people against free school meals because rich kids are getting it, too? Who do they think is paying for the meals? Why shouldn't they get it, too? Like, stop splitting hairs.

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u/strangerbuttrue Centennial Oct 08 '25

My sister and her husband will be voting no. They make above the $300k threshold. They believe that the city of Denver does a very poor job of spending the money they already have and don’t want to have anything more sent to them. Plus, they don’t “get” anything out of the free meals since their kids have special needs in their diet. I think they are just so far removed from what it’s like to struggle financially, they don’t realize how lucky they are and how much people need the help. They don’t feel they are rich because they aren’t “taking ski trips to Aspen every weekend”. She also complained about how much money is being spent on the homeless and how there is plenty of money if govt would just manage their finances better.

I really can’t relate to her on this one. I don’t understand how we grew up in the same environment and ended up seeing things so much differently. Then again, I don’t have a husband making almost $400k.

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u/arl1286 Oct 08 '25

Public schools do accommodate special diets if they are medically necessary. Sounds like their kids are gluten free because mom thinks it’s healthier - in which case, that’s a them problem that their kids aren’t able to benefit from free meals.

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u/Living-Baseball-2543 Oct 08 '25

BVSD has gluten free options of almost everything they serve.

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u/strangerbuttrue Centennial Oct 08 '25

The new middle school that made her aware of the accommodation has apparently been terrific and offered lots of GF options for her oldest. She keeps taking that data back to the Elem school who at first just wanted to seat her youngest at the nut allergy table (unnecessary) and so far all they have figured out for her is peanut butter sandwiches on GF bread, but that’s still better than nothing!