Generous Donations Pour In To Pay Off BVSD School Lunch Debts

BOULDER, CO -- The Boulder Valley School District isn't about to let local students go hungry — even if they can't pay for their lunches. This year, one Boulder mom is organizing the community to make sure the district won't have to bear that burden alone. After learning that the school district carried a mid-year balance of $232,000 in unpaid lunches, Kate Lacroix, who has one student in high school at New Vista and another in a local preschool, stepped in to help, reported the Daily Camera this week.

"I'm most interested in relieving the psychological burden on the part of the parents who know these unpaid lunch balances exist," Lacroix told the Camera. "We have an opportunity to put a generous foot forward for 2019 and ease their pain a bit."

Local schools are committed to feeding their students a full meal, even when they do not have money in their accounts. The district uses weekly automated phone calls as well as emails and hard copy letters if a student owes more than $5, Food Services Director Ann Cooper told the Camera. In Boulder, a family of four must make less than $43,000 annually to qualify for the free or reduced cost lunch programs.

Lacroix is leveraging her connections in the local food industry — she owns Boulder's popular First Bite restaurant week — to help make up the difference. According to the Camera, Lucky's Market has already agreed to match donations, and Mateo and Raglin Market are contributing by offering customers the chance to round up their bills in the month of January.

"It's a difficult situation," Cooper told the Camera. "But it's important to us that every child is well nourished so they can learn."

Read more of the story from the Daily Camera here.

Make a donation to the BVSD school lunch program here.

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