School sparks controversy with 'I need lunch money' stamp

A school’s decision to stamp “I need lunch money” on the arm of a third-grader with a low account balance has sparked a controversy in Alabama.

The father of the student told the Alabama news site AL.com that they were not contacted by email, phone or letter before their 8-year-old son was sent home with the message stamped in ink on his arm.

Jon Bivens also said his son still had money in his lunch account, albeit just $1.38. The boy was not identified by name.

Laura Ware, the principal of Gardendale Elementary School in Gardendale, Ala., told AL.com that the cafeteria uses a variety of means to alert parents that a lunch balance is low, including stickers, emails, notes and the stamps.

She noted that it will no longer use a stamp to alert Bivens when his son’s account is nearing zero.