Two county school board members on Thursday night voted to end participation in a federal program that provides free meals to the entire student body for schools with a high number of lower-income students.
Rhonda Thurman and Greg Martin said it results in the children of some well-to-parents not having to pay.
Ms. Thurman said she knew of one case where "the boss's children were getting free meals, while his employee, making a third of what he is, has to pay."
The board voted 7-2 to keep the Community Eligibility Provision program.
However, under new guideline calculation, seven schools are no longer eligible.
They are Alpine Elementary, Hixson High, Lookout Valley Middle/High, North Hamilton County Elementary, Sequoyah High, Snow Hill Elementary and Soddy Daisy Middle.
Carolyn Childs, school nutrition program director, praised the program.
She said it had, in two years, provided half a million meals and furnished $1.5 million in equipment.
Ms. Childs said some students who had not been eating due to the stigma of being on the dole were now eating along with all the others.