Della Curry is out of work, and unashamed, after being fired by the Cherry Creek School District.
A married mother of two, Curry is the former kitchen manager at Dakota Valley Elementary School in Aurora. She lost her job on Friday after giving school lunches to students who didn’t have any money.
“I had a first grader in front of me, crying, because she doesn’t have enough money for lunch. Yes, I gave her lunch,” Curry said.
In the district, students who fail to qualify for the free lunch or reduced lunch program receive one slice of cheese on a hamburger bun, and a small milk.
Curry says that meal is not sufficient. Many times she paid for lunches out of her own pocket.
“I’ll own that I broke the law. The law needs to change,” she said.
To qualify for the free lunch program, a family of four would have to have a household income of around $31,000. To qualify for a reduced lunch, the threshold is below $45,000.
Curry says the students she helped did not qualify for either program.
“Kids whose parents make too much money to qualify, but a lot of times they don’t have enough money to eat,” she said.
Parent Darnell Hill says Curry had helped out his son when he forgot his lunch money.
He said, “Do something different than fire her. She’s trying to help.”