Student lunch debt across Utah is approaching $4 million, according to data collected from every school district in the state — the fourth consecutive year FOX 13 has tracked the figure.
The total surpassed $3.9 million, a 7 percent increase over the previous year. While that growth is smaller than the more than 30 percent spike seen in 2025, most districts are not seeing significant declines in the debt they carry.
FOX 13 News spoke with people in Salt Lake City to ask them about the widening affordability gap. “It’s insane – the cost of living is crazy,” Ray Sanchez said. “The price of gas, rent, groceries, everything has gone up way faster than my salary over the last several years.”…