Families deemed ‘at risk'[of what?] may need a helping hand up. ‘At risk’ families do not need government hand outs.
A family which sends their child to school with a home made meat on whole wheat is not placing the child at risk of poor nuitrition. In Hoke County, three school administrators to ask are: Ms. Carpenter [child nutrition], Ms. Steward [federal programs] and Ms. Mitchell [Pre-K]. Google the home page for North Carolina Hoke County School District for details. Dr. Freddie Wiliamson 910 875 4106 x 225 is the school superintendent.
How many Pre-K or older elementary school children must eat cafeteria food as their home packed lunches are not OK per North Carolina schools?
Below are ways how to identify the number of North Carolina Hoke County School District children whose homemade lunches were deemed not OK — as not meet federal food guidelines — and were replaced with chicken nuggets from school cafeteria.
If parents were given a choice between the large Hoke public elementary schools ( typical size is 450 to 640 students) versus a small private school — what size school would parents choose?
Is it 2 or hundreds of school children coerced into eating school food because North Carolina Hoke County public schools say their home packed lunch is not OK? Here’s ways to find out:
One way is to follow the money:
The Hoke County School District Pre-K program is funded by Smart Start, More at 4 and Title One monies. To enroll in Pre-K, children must be age 4 by Aug. 1. So, find out from the budget how much federal monies comes in for Smart Start, More at 4 and Title One.
Another way is to follow the children deemed “at risk”.
The Pre-K Hoke County program is for children “at risk … ” and the program provides ‘family support [control?] of health, nutrition, developmental screenings and placement for special needs…”
So, identify all the Pre-K classes at the 8 Hoke County elementary schools. West Hoke has 3 Pre-K teachers. So how many Pre-K teachers for the Hoke County School District? As there are six elementary school and three Teachers of Pre-K at one there may be 18 Pre-K Teachers in total. Why not ask the person in charge of Pre-K, Ms. Mitchell:
A third way is to contact the Hoke County Schools administrators for Pre-K programs:
Ask specific questions. Here’s who & how to contact:
Stacy Stewart is Hoke’s Executive Director of Federal Projects and School Improvements:
910 875-2416 x 2231.
Ask Ms. Stewart to supply numbers for the last 3 years concerning all Federal Projects.
Elizabeth Mitchell is their Director of Indian Education & Pre-K
910 875-4835
Ask Ms. Mitchell for the total number of Pre-K students for this year and last two years.
Deborah Davis Carpenter is the Executive Director of Nutrition
910 875 4106 x 223
Ask Ms. Carpenter for the numbers of children receiving a school lunch for last three years.
And ask how the Teachers are trained to inspect the Pre-K’s lunches.
A fourth way could be — but not easy — to contact the parents via meetings between parents and the school. The most recent data listed on the West Hoke home page is 2+ years out of date. Per the Home page for West Hoke Elementary, there is no Parent-Teacher association or regular meetings between the parents and the staff at the schools. So, no “power mechanism” exists so that parents can speak up for their children.
A fifth way to find out about forced feeding of chicken nuggets in place of home packed lunches is to ask the school clerical staff. Some clerk — not a Teacher — is the gate keeper for the school lunches. He or she counts the children and reports the information to the school. That way the school can get money from the federal government.
So, first find out the school daily schedule. All schools run on a schedule. Pre-K children eat lunch at a certain time. What time do the Pre-K children eat lunch?
If the lunch of a Pre-K child is deemed not nutritional then the child will be sent or taken to the school cafeteria. And an employee clerk (not a Teacher) will keep track of who gets the school cafeteria lunch. The school clerical staff must keep track so that the school receives money.
You can contact the Superintendent’s office: http://www.education.com/schoolfinder/us/north-carolina/district/hoke-county-schools-school-district/
There are 24 head-type administrators listed under the Superintendent of Schools.
Of note, there is no administrator listed for the clerical (non-Teacher) workers. Compare the top heavy administration of public schools in North Carolina with those of private schools.
Stated above and worth listing again, the following Administrators are responsible for the Hoke County Schools Pre-K, Federal Projects and Nutrition Programs. And, if they won’t answer their phone go to their boss and to the School Board.
Stacy Stewart is Executive Director of Federal Projects and School Improvements 910 875-2416 x 2231.
Elizabeth Mitchell is Director of Indian Education & Pre-K 910 875-4835
Deborah Davis Carpenter is Executive Director of Nutrition 910 875 4106 x 223
Families can use a hand up — not a hand out. Forced hand outs from the federal government weakens the fabric of families. 
The Hoke County School District spends $7,914 per pupil a year.
How many Hoke County parents– given a choice — would opt for a private school if they could take the almost $8,000 to another school?
To a smaller school? To a smaller school that fits their child’s particular needs? Where the family can send turkey and cheese sandwiches for a home made lunch?
And then, perhaps, there would not be a ‘need’ for 24 highly paid Hoke County School District administrators. Roughly only 61% (about 2/3rds) of the Hoke budget goes to instruction and the rest to ‘Support’ or ‘Other’.
That might be a win-win for American tax payers and the families of Hoke County.
And let’s request the School Board and Superintendent of Schools for Hoke County School District to create ways that Parents meet at least quarterly with Teachers, Clerical Staff and Administrators concerning parent issues and concerns?
Let’s encourage the schools to find out what families have to say about home packed lunches and other issues.
DrCameronJackson@gmail.com
