By Michael D. Clark
The Cincinnati Enquirer

WILMINGTON - Students here who had over-extended their lunch credits had their food taken away and dumped by cafeteria workers, leaving school officials to later explain and apologize.

The incident occurred April 28 and involved 15 students at Roy E. Holmes Elementary.

Wilmington Schools Superintendent Phil Warner said the school employees involved in the decision to take lunches from elementary students - at the cash register at the end of the cafeteria buffet line - could face administrative punishment. Warner also said he intends to send a letter home with students today explaining the incident.

"We're looking into the matter and people will be held accountable for their actions," said Warner.

Parents of the 15 students had exceeded the $6 credit limit for elementary lunches, which cost $1.85 per day. Holmes, unlike Wilmington's other two elementaries, had its cafeteria cash register at the end of the lunch line rather than the beginning. The ineligible students were not informed that they could not have their lunch menu choices until they reached the end of the line.

Though the students' food was taken from them and dumped into trash cans, the children were not forced to go hungry, said Warner. Every child who cannot pay for lunch is given a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and milk for free.

The day after the lunch dumping, Holmes officials said they corrected the problem by simply reversing the lunch line so the worker operating the cash register could inform the children who had exceeded the credit limit before they went through the line.

Vikki Lewis' children were not among those whose lunches were dumped, but the incident upset her.

"To me it's abusive and made me embarrassed to be a Wilmington school parent. And they should have addressed this with the public and parents earlier."

Warner said the 3,200-student district has a total lunch credit program deficit of more than $4,000.

E-mail mclark@enquirer.com