Keller ISD Partners with Nonprofit to Clear Student Lunch Debt and Avoid ‘Alternative Meals’
Keller ISD, in collaboration with the local nonprofit Community Storehouse, has launched a fundraiser to tackle rising student lunch debt, currently at $37,000 just months into the school year. This initiative aims to prevent students from receiving alternative meals—a measure introduced for those whose lunch debt exceeds $25.
Last week, Keller ISD announced that students with excessive lunch debt would receive an alternative meal of a Sunbutter and jelly sandwich for breakfast and a turkey and cheese sandwich for lunch. The district previously covered $66,000 in lunch debt from last year, but current debt levels have prompted a call for community support.
Katie Johnston of Community Storehouse highlighted the growing financial strain on families, with many struggling to make ends meet despite unchanged incomes. The nonprofit serves families across Tarrant County, providing food donations and tutoring services. According to Johnston, the organization is seeing higher demand than even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The public fundraiser, hosted on Keller ISD and Community Storehouse’s websites, seeks to ease the burden on the district and support families in need. Other districts, like Granbury ISD, are also facing similar challenges, with Granbury introducing an upgraded “cafe combo meal” for students with unpaid balances.
Keller ISD’s alternative meal plan will take effect on Monday, following the district’s fall break.
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