Denver's Anti-'Lunch Shaming' Initiative Increased Debt By 2,400%

Denver students who didn't pay for school lunch, and who didn't sign up for subsidized lunch, were reminded to pay their bills with a sticker at lunchtime. The stickers and other reminders embarrassed some students, and soon the policy was branded as "lunch shaming". In 2017, Denver Public Schools ended the policy by allowing all students to get free lunch - even students whose families could afford it. The bill has finally come due on Denver's free lunches. AEI's Rick Hess explains how it the solution has also come with a handful of unintended, expensive consequences.