Vista Donors Pay Students' School Lunch Debt

VISTA, CA -- More than 70 students and their families in Vista Unified School District saw their school lunch balances paid for, district officials announced Tuesday. The generous move was made by an anonymous donor and a school employee.

District officials said the donors paid close to $600 to have the debt cleared for students at Beaumont, Maryland and Olive elementary schools.

"Imagine our surprise when we had a donor offer to pay the negative balances for our students,” said Maryland Elementary Principal Carol McKane. “What a wonderful way to support the students at Maryland and make an impact in their lives. We don't always think about the things that may be affecting families, such as a negative food balance. To know that this is off their plate is a relief for them."

Vista Unified serves more than 13,000 students in the national Free & Reduced Price Meals program, and incur about a $15,000 shortfall each year for delinquent accounts. The accounts are usually paid through the district's general fund, officials said.

“Any time a student’s account becomes delinquent we attempt to contact their family,” said the district's Director of Child Nutrition Services Jamie Phillips. “We realize that people sometimes aren’t aware of their account’s status, and sometimes families just need to know that they have options. We will work with any family to design a plan to help them get caught up. It’s our goal to find solutions and work together with the families we serve, and we want families to know that we are here to help.”

Isabel Xochihua, an employee at Beaumont Elementary, said she wanted to help the students before she took time off to battle cancer. Coworkers described her as having “a heart of gold.”

“It’s truly a generous gift," Olive Elementary Principal Stephanie Vasquez said. "Being able to share with a family the good news that a lingering debt has been paid sends a positive message that their child’s success matters. It’s what living in a thoughtful and caring community is all about.”

--Patch file photo