Compliance with this school policy ensures the district gets reimbursed under the federal nutritious lunch program. Of course, I not thrilled with the fed holding the states over a barrel like this but it is not a new idea and that is a different issue. Same with the parents contacting the idiotic press.
I am however troubled in the way the principal choose to handle it. The kid is in the 3rd grade. Sending her home on detention really doesn’t change behavior. It just escalates the situation.
A good school administrator understands kids minds and would do something like make her the, “Sweet Monitor” or something that motivate her to set the good example. Simple, like a ice cream Friday once a month for 100% compliance would certainly work at this age level. And that would still fall within the State guidelines.