Unpaid school lunch debt is becoming a primary issue in Loudoun County Public schools as food insecurity continues to impact the D.C. area.
Unpaid school lunch debt is becoming a primary issue in Loudoun County Public Schools as food insecurity continues to impact the D.C. area.
“Our unpaid meal date has increased year over year,” Sharon Willoughby, chief financial officer for Loudoun County Public Schools, said during a joint meeting of the Loudoun County Board of Education and Loudoun County Board of Supervisors on Monday.
She said unpaid meal debt is up 52% compared to last year. And requests to be included in the Free and Reduced Lunch program have jumped 180%.
“This year, we’re off to the same trend, where we will most likely be exceeding last year’s unpaid meal debt,” Willoughby said. “After the pandemic, LCPS, along with other school divisions across the nation, has seen their meal debt really increase just across the board.”
She said debt status will not stop students from getting their lunches, but families are getting notifications if they have a negative balance that’s over $5.
Students with a negative balance are not allowed to get extra items in the lunch line but will still get a breakfast and lunch.
Willoughby said school meal prices have increased by 20 cents a meal to address the rising cost of the program. Lunches now cost $3.55.
“We understand the need of having students have food in their stomachs in the morning so they can focus on the day,” Loudoun County Board Supervisor Sylvia Glass said.
At the end of a fiscal year, any outstanding meal debt is absorbed by the school system and does not roll over into the next school year. Families then start with a zero-dollar balance even if they can’t pay their meal debt.
LCPS has partnered with Giant Food and some other organizations to help with donations to cover some of the unpaid debt.
“You may notice when you check out at the grocery store sometimes you have the option to round up for a certain charitable cause. One of those causes has been donating to the school nutrition program,” Willoughby said.
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