Students at Readington Middle School in Hunterdon county were annoyed that their lunch period had been cut down to 30 minutes. They felt it did not give them enough time to buy their lunch and eat it. Twenty-nine eighth graders decided to stage a protest, by purchasing their $2 lunches with pennies.

The school reacted as you might expect, all 29 students were given two days of detention. The principal rationalized his disciplinary action by saying the students were “disruptive” because it took the lunch aides too long to count the pennies. But, wasn’t pointing out that there isn’t enough time for lunch the whole idea behind their demonstration? I’d say they made their point rather emphatically.

“Most reasonable people understand that the school needed to respond to this,” Superintendent Jordon Shiff said.

No Mr. Schiff. This reasonable person says that you need to grow a sense of humor. I have a suggestion for the parents of these 29 students. Pay your next school tax bill with pennies. They are legal coin of the realm. The school board cannot punish you for making them count your pennies. And, it would be perfectly serendipitous if they farmed out the penny counting to Mr. Schiff and his lunch aides.