A Wisconsin school district has said that families will "become spoiled" by the existence of a free school lunch program.
Almost every public school in Wisconsin offers free lunches to children, but Waukesha, around 20 miles from Milwaukee, does not after school board administrators intervened, USA Today reports.
While the program did exist at the school last year, it will not be in existence this year.
"As we get back to whatever you want to believe normal means, we have decisions to make," said Joseph Como, president of the school board. "I would say this is part of normalization."
Board member Karin Rajnicek said families would "become spoiled" by the program.
Darren Clark, assistant superintendent for business services, agreed and said the provision would become a "slow addiction."
Under the traditional National School Lunch Program, the children living in food poverty can instead apply for reduced cost or free meals.
Any children who come to school without food or money for lunch will be given a cheaper meal of cheese sandwiches that their guardians will be charged for, said finance director Sheri Stack, citing official documents.
"I had three kids. I had them and so I'm going to feed them. I feel like that's the responsibility of the adult," board member Karin Rajnicek said.
"I feel like this is a big problem, and it's really easy to get sucked into and become spoiled and think, 'It's not my problem anymore - it's everyone else's problem to feed my children.'"
Heidi Chada, a parent in the district, said that she hoped the decision not to offer the meals would be reconsidered, per Business Insider.
"My question is: Why are we the only [school district] who is opting out and saying eating a meal every day at school is not important for the health of our students?" she said.
The extension of the free-meal program was announced in April by the USDA, and it was estimated at the time that it would be able to help 12 million children living in food poverty.
Insider reports that Waukesha can opt back into the free school meals program at any time, with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction reporting that 36% of students in the area qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
