Pocatello cafeteria worker fired over free lunch

A Pocatello school cafeteria worker has been fired, after she served a $1.70 lunch to a student who didn’t pay.

Dalene Bowden received a one-page termination letter from the Pocatello-Chubbuck School District, accusing her of theft of school property and mishandling lunch transactions.

“This is just breaking my heart,” Bowden told the Idaho State Journal, which reported on her firing Tuesday.

District administrators are mum. Trustee Jacob Gertsch declined comment to the Journal, calling the termination a personnel matter.

Last week, administrators said the district allows students to carry an $11 cafeteria charge.

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Kevin Richert

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 30 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevinRichert. He can be reached at [email protected]

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