COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah — During the entire month of May, FOX 13 News is working to eliminate school lunch debt, an issue we’ve covered extensively since 2023.
When you look at your receipts from the store, bank statements or gas station totals, you know the cost of living continues to increase and rarely, if ever, goes down.
Erase School Lunch Debt
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So it's no surprise, with the current high cost of living, that school lunch numbers have increased for the second year in a row. We asked each of the state’s school districts to share with us the amount of unpaid lunch debt carried by their families.
This year, the number surpasses $3.6 million, a 31 percent increase from 2024 and a 90 percent jump since 2023.
Parents we spoke with said they aren’t surprised.
"We are a middle-class family, and it's still hard sometimes. With rising costs and everything, school lunches have gone up, and it does affect a lot of families," shared Maria, a parent of a local student.
Utah teen raises $2500 to help erase school lunch debt in his own community:
Since FOX 13 News began reporting on the issue, thousands of dollars have been donated to help struggling families. A new law just signed by Governor Spencer Cox will expand the free meal program to 40,000 more Utah children starting in August.
"Kids can’t learn when they are hungry," the governor said.
But even with these solutions, the debt continues to pile up.
"There is this population of people that isn’t adequately served by the means test of the program that exists," explained Neil Rickard, a child nutrition advocate with Utahns Against Hunger. "Every state is having these problems, and it's something that we are going to continue to see as the cost of living goes up.
Richard shared that unpaid lunch debt can have a big impact on schools, as many districts have to pull money from their general fund to make up the difference in unpaid bills, meaning it gets taken away from other programs.
"It does get paid ultimately by everybody who is trying to invest in trying to have a better school, and the best way to approach it is to make sure we are nipping it in the bud before the debt actually forms," Rickard said.
That's why one parent says he’d support a program that covers the cost for all students, no questions asked.
"I have strong opinions on it, but school lunch should be provided to all children if possible," said Esai. "If that includes me or the community having to pay more in property taxes, I feel like that should be done.
"Our children are investments in our future."
The school lunch debt for each district is broken down in the chart below so you can see how this issue impacts your community. (Click the "sign in button to access information)
