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An exchange of emails between state representatives has led to an apparent end to the ongoing controversy over unpaid Wyoming Valley West school lunch fees.
State Rep. Aaron Kaufer said Wednesday that he had met with Wyoming Valley West officials and convinced them to accept a Philadelphia-based businessman’s offer to cover the $22,000 owed by district parents.
Kaufer said the district is expected to issue a statement on the matter Thursday morning.
“The quicker we can get this resolved the quicker we can get back to worrying about educating our children,” Kaufer, R-Kingston, said.
The situation began last week when the school district sent letters to parents of students who owed money for lunches, warning of a potential court date that, theoretically, could lead to children being placed in foster care.
The story garnered national attention, appearing on major news outlets such as CNN and FOX News, and led to Luzerne County officials issuing a letter reprimanding the district. The county’s letter stressed that the foster care system is utilized when children have been abused or when a family “has been struck by tragedy.”
“You are to immediately cease and desist making these representations,” county Manager C. David Pedri and Children and Youth Director Joanne Van Saun wrote in the letter to Superintendent Irv DeRemer.
It took another turn when Philadelphia-based coffee roaster LaColombe CEO Todd Carmichael offered to donate the $22,000, “no strings attached,” according to an open letter sent to the Times Leader. That the offer was turned down by School Board President Joe Mazur.
Kaufer got involved after receiving an email from state Rep. Mary Jo Daley, who represents Carmichael’s district. Daley’s email asked Kaufer if there was something he could do to convince the district to accept Carmichael’s offer.
Kaufer said later in the day he met with Valley West officials and they agreed to accept the money. The money will be donated to the Wyoming Valley West Education Association, which will then take care of the overdue lunch fees.
Kaufer called the situation frustrating.
“I’m not only a graduate (of Valley West),” Kaufer said, “but I also represent the school district.
“And I am a taxpayer.”
The situation is unlikely to repeat itself at Valley West in the near future.
According to School Board President Joe Mazur, WVW’s enrollment of low-income students has apparently grown enough to qualify for a federal program offering free breakfasts and lunches to all students.
“We are over the threshold, so for the next five years every child can get a free meal,” he told the Times Leader last week.