Action Line #100214-DoDEA & cash accounts

  • Published
  • By 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Complaint:

I will be gone before I see any type of action but I hope no other parent has to deal with this problem at the Incirlik School. My daughter and son were out processing the school and they have to get signatures for several different programs within the school. My daughter had apparently used her baby sitting money ($40.00) to pay a debt to the lunch program but yet was told that she owed more ($16.25). When she told me this I went to the school today to inquire how it came to such a large amount to be owed. The lunch lady called my daughter a liar about paying the $40.00 and said that she still owed. I asked to see the records and how the process worked. She brought me some hand written papers with a lot of children's names, amounts owed but no firm dates or separated. I asked her for specific dates and she could not provide an answer. For a school that is supposed to be teaching our children, the documentation was ridiculous and not very professional. Another lady came and said that the children are the ones responsible and they have no control over what is credited to the name. To me, this means another child can charge to my child's name and eat. My children do not have accounts with AAFES nor do I provide them money for lunch at the school. In fact I have them brown bag their lunch. I'm not saying that they have never gone through the lunch line and received a credit for food but when is the parent notified of this? Who is held accountable for the records or the set limits of credit? As I said above, my child paid $40.00 and still was told to pay $16.25 more. At what point would I have been notified? If my child is tardy, argues with a teacher, sent to the nurse, having other issues or any other problem at school I'm notified. Yet when it comes to my child having to pay for lunch and running a credit of $56.25, I'm not told. What if a parent doesn't want their child to eat the food provided and the school is letting them get the food there. Yes, children will be children and try to get what the parent doesn't want them to have but the lunch program is conducted by adults. Needless to say, I grew tired of arguing this with the two ladies there at the school and paid the amount said to be owed. I no longer had the time because we had to leave. I feel like not only did my child get ripped off by a poor accounting system but that I was also ignored as a parent to be notified.

Response:

Thanks for bring this matter to our attention. For the record, the school principal does not have operational responsibility for the feeding program. The program is managed by locally by AAFES under general guidelines contained in DoDD instruction 1015.5, dated Oct. 11, 1983.

You are correct. Both the students you referenced in this complaint should never have been allowed to charge, because there was not an account established in either of their names. The person extending the credit felt she was doing the right thing by allowing them to eat on credit. That has been dealt with and will not happen again.

After checking into the issue further, the AAFES determined it was appropriate to refund you the $16.25; however, you instead requested it to be donated to this year's senior class. I would personally like to thank you for your generosity.

Please be assured that all procedures relating to the execution of the feeding program are under review and we have implemented some immediate changes. Effective immediately 1) charging on the Ala La Carte line is no longer allowed, and 2) since there has never been an officially sanctioned breakfast program, the sale of any items in the morning to students has been stopped. We will continue to tweak the procedures and ensure the public is informed.