The Naggy State Hits Chicago School

Ooh boy!
Here is one for the books.
Little Village Academy is an elementary school on the west side of Chicago.
And the principal is one Elsa Carmona. And let me tell you folks, she knows better than you what is good for your kiddies to eat.
That is why she is not allowing her charges to bring lunch from home.
Again, the words Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot. just roll off the tounge. Well, a little stronger than that.
Get this.
Principal Carmona says that the food served in the school cafeteria is nutritious and excellent quality. From the Food Nazi's mouth herself:

"Nutrition wise, it is better for the children to eat at the school," Carmona said. "It's about the nutrition and the excellent quality food that they are able to serve (in the lunchroom). It's milk versus a Coke.

Excellent quality of food? Milk versus coke?
Firstly, I know I have not been in school for over 25 years. But I am absolutely certain that there is no way that the "quality" of the food has changed for the better. Unless Wolfgang Puck himself is the cook, no way, no how has school cafeteria food quality improved at all. In fact, according to the article, most kids did not eat their lunch at all. They just threw it away. Hey, Carmona, is that not worse than a kid eating some thing that they will enjoy from home?
Now to be fair, if a kiddie has a reason, such as food allergies, they can bring lunch home from school.
The article pointed out my first thought. That this benefits the food provider, in the case a company called Chartwells-Thompson. Get this. The feds pay the district for each free or reduced lunch provided by the school. And the food provider gets the money, no matter what, from the school. Nice little arrangement.
Most interesting is that this has been the policy at this particular school for six years now. And the general public is just finding out about this?
Judging from the article, the majority of students and parents are Hispanic. As is the principal. Is there something underlying in Miss Carmona's thinking? That because this is a Hispanic school, maybe all the kids will bring burritos and tacos? Does she not think that Hispanic parents will care enough to provide good lunches for their kids?
This smacks of the Naggy State run amok. Because this is not a uniform policy throughout Chicago Public Schools. The article points out that there is no uniform policy. That individual school Food Nazis, er principals, can set the kind of policy they want.
Does Miss Carmona not think that the kiddies in the more affluent schools in the Northside of Chitown eat crap? Does she not think that the kids eat crap outside of the school? Should she try to take kids out of their parents home that do not meet her guidelines of "right" eating?
There is no excuse for this policy. It should be abandoned and parents should take charge of what their kids eat. And the Food Nazi should take time to help parents make better choices rather than be a dicatator about food.
One more for the Naggy State books.