DES MOINES, Iowa —
Metro area school districts are reporting thousands owed in lunch account balances as the first day of school approaches, spurring efforts to pay down balances before the start of school.
Since the pandemic, child nutrition expert Kaitlyn Scheuermann said school districts' debt had increased significantly.
"Coming out of the pandemic, a lot of families were struggling financially in a lot of different ways. When they are looking at what bills to pay, they're going to pay rent and utilities first, and school lunch might not make the cut in a particular month," Scheuermann said. "So (for school districts) that's a really scary thing to see debt rise so dramatically in such a short period of time."
In Newton, the school board was weighing options to handle a lunch debt of more than $21,000. Cardinal alumnus Rick Vernon learned about the debt and launched a community donation challenge, vowing to match what was given. The district said the debt was paid in less than a week.
Now Vernon is challenging other communities to do the same.
"There's somebody that has means in every community like I do in Newton," Vernon said. "People can step up in every community in Iowa where they have deficits like this."
The following 12 school districts were contacted by KCCI requesting the total deficit of lunch account balances:
Des Moines Public Schools: CEP Free Meal Program Participant
Saydel Community School District: CEP Free Meal Program Participant
Newton Community School District: No debt
Carlisle Community School District: $3,281
Donations accepted by contacting the school district office
Indianola Community School District: $3,400
Contact the Food Service Director to donate
Urbandale Community School District: $11,733.46
Donations accepted HERE
Waukee Community School District: $21,026.35
Contact the school district to donate
Southeast Polk Community School District: $24,000
Donations accepted HERE
Johnston Community School District: $35,000
Contact the Nutrition Department to donate
Bondurant-Farrar Community School District: $45,000
Donations accepted HERE
Ankeny Community School District: $190,500
Donations accepted HERE
West Des Moines Community School District: Did not respond
Scheuermann said the effort to pay lunch debt is helpful to alleviate families facing debt, but she would prefer a larger solution to prevent it from accruing.
"To raise funds to pay off debt is a great thing in the short term, but it's kind of a band-aid solution," Scheuermann said. "It doesn't really address the root causes of the problem, it doesn't provide a long-term solution. ... I think turning to policy and looking at what opportunities lie at greater, bigger levels, can really help provide those opportunities for students to be fed day in and day out."
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