In January, many parents whose children attended schools in the area before the institution of the free lunch program received letters from the Department of Education instructing them that they were eligible to receive refunds on any unused money left in their accounts. An extra $20 or $50 of course is welcome, but the amounts in question were generally between $.05 and $.15. The largest refund reported was $2.50. The cost of mailing these letters out is probably more than the total money being offered for refund. To add a cherry on top of the stupid sundae, the DOE responded to email inquiries by stating that if the parent didn't fill out the required webform then they would “wave” (not waive) their right to get their money back