"It will definitely single us out from all the other schools, but also the stress will still be on those families to provide lunches for the children. I think it's just a bit unfair really."
She said the town was struggling under the combined impact of Covid-19 and last year's eruption on nearby Whakaari/White Island and the lunch scheme would be a big help to the community.
The school's principal, Jo Brady, said she was surprised to learn that the other nine schools in the local Community of Learning group were all in the scheme.
"The first I heard of it was some of the schools in the community of learning mentioned that they'd been approached for the lunches in schools programme, and then more and more until everybody said 'hey we've been approached for lunches in schools'. So at that point the board of trustees and myself contacted the local ministry and said 'hey what's going on'."
She said she was told that as a decile six school, St Joseph's was not eligible.
But she said the rating was out of date and the other schools were in deciles four or five, not much different to her school.
"Probably the bit that is the most ironic is that when my children leave this school next year, all of my Year 8s will be eligible for a free lunch at both high schools," she said.
Brady said she was worried some families would move their children to schools where they could get a free lunch.
Brady said the school had children from low-income families and she was worried some families might leave the school so they could get free lunches for their children.
Responding to the comments, the Ministry of Education's deputy secretary of sector enablement and support Katrina Casey told the Rotorua Daily Post the school lunches programme was targetted at schools where students were facing the 25 per cent highest level of disadvantage.
She said funding covered about 200,000 students and schools were identified using data in the Equity Index which focused on socio-economic barriers such as family circumstances and income.
"Ministry staff working directly with the schools and kura also provide qualitative insights based on their understanding of the needs and character of the school."
"We are not in a position to provide lunches for all children."
Casey said the ministry was confident the index and local knowledge meant the right schools were identified and school deciles were "not used as a measure of need".
"We recognise that whilst many schools and kura are interested in the School Lunch programme, some will at this time miss out. However to include other schools would mean creating greater inequity elsewhere in the country and meant that more disadvantaged students would miss out."
- RNZ
