A woman looking to settle the lunch debt of students from two middle schools in Virginia was surprised to discover the total amount she would be required to pay.
School lunch debt is a major source of concern in the U.S. According to the Education Data Initiative . Data updated in November last year on School Lunch Debt Statistics showed 20.1 million students receive a free or reduced-price lunch. The report highlighted the current national public school meal debt, which stands at $176 million a year, equating to an average meal debt per child of $537.
It’s a nationwide issue, with an estimated 68.8 percent of schools surveyed by the Education Data Initiative reporting they have unpaid student meal debt. And some 87 percent of surveyed school districts also reported seeing an annual increase in the number of students unable to afford meals…