A 7 year old student at an elementary school in Bonsall, CA., was made to wear a sticker that read "lunch money please," after food service staff realized that paperwork needed to be filled out if the student was to continue to receive free lunch; the boy had been part of the free lunch program for the past two years.

The 7 year old's mother, Kim Segaline told Opposing Views she was shocked that the school would make her son wear a sticker that publicized her family’s financial situation, called the school to ask about their sticker policy.

A member of the food services staff told Segaline that she needed to fill out another form for this school year if Preston was to continue receiving free lunch. Segaline says that she will, of course, fill out the form. But regardless, the sticker being placed on her son still irked her.

“I did not appreciate them having my son wear a sticker saying what it said,” she said. “…they could have sent a note home with him instead in his folder. I just really don't think they should be putting a sticker on the kids like that.”

The food services employee told Segaline that a note would be sent home in his folder on Friday. In the meantime, the school puts the sticker on students to ensure their parents get the message. The school says that when children are sent home with notes, they often find the notes left in classrooms or laying on the ground.

I think a phone call to the the parents would be a little more professional, and it would seem that that the sticker was more like a sign that a panhandler would display at the end of a highway exit asking for spare change.