Substituting ‘alternate’ meals because of money owed is humiliating By Fania Yangarber | May 8, 2021 share this The Montgomery County Board of Education has delayed action on a proposal to collect money from students for burgers and pizza they ate more than a year ago, before the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan was also to reinstate the humiliating practice of giving children “alternate” meals and to send home a message if a parent or guardian fell behind on paying their child’s school meal bill. The delay is good news, but this policy should never be considered again. On Thursday, organizations and officials, locally and nationally, blasted the proposed policy. Such a backward-looking policy does not reflect the reality of today and defies common sense.