LAKE WALES, Fla. -- Some Polk County students say they will not eat the school lunches. Students shared photos of the school lunches including one photo with a bug in a sandwich.
"I get the school lunch every day of the week and it's just poor. It's like nasty," said student Erin Vancura.
Erin Vancura goes to McLaughlin Middle School in Lake Wales. She snapped a photo of Thursday's lunch.
She says kid just tossed it.
"A lot of waste food. Everybody just throws all their food away. They don't even look at it. Sometimes they don't even get in line," said Vancura.
Other students said the cafeteria food is not appetizing.
"We had spaghetti last week and I couldn't eat it. It was too hard," said Taylor Hall.
We asked district officials about the photos. One photo showed a ham sandwich which students thought was moldy. A district spokesperson said it was not mold, but rather moisture from cheese that discolored the ham.
We also reviewed recent health inspections at the schools. The schools passed and the health department found the facilities were clean.
One parent said despite the clean reports, she is going to pack her child's lunch.
"I feel bad because there are other kid's who can't afford that so this is all they have. When they go to school, that's the meal they're going to be eating for the day," said Charisma Bowks.
District officials say breakfast and lunch are free at some schools in Polk County. Polk County Schools participates in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture. CEP provides breakfast and lunches each day at no charge for students.
