Marshall Public Schools has reached a $60,000 student meal debt, throughout the district.
MPS has tried to get in contact with families in regards to filling out the free and reduced lunch form, in an attempt to decrease the lunch debt.
As of this year, 50% of students are enrolled in the Free and Reduced Lunch program.
In order to get all student meals free, regardless of financial capabilities, the district has to reach a 70% free and reduced lunch threshold so that all students can qualify for the free lunches.
The policy MPS enacted, states that all unpaid debt from student lunches will be subject to a third party debt collector.
However, with this policy in place, Marshall Public Schools’ Superintendent Caleb Petet, states “What we are not going to do, is stop feeding students, every single day.” This being regardless of the individual student meal debt, every student will still receive a lunch.
Marshall School Board President, Bryon Jacques, says that they do not want to go with a third party in order to solve the debt issue, however other districts have moved with similar policies that worked to repay the lunch debt in their own district.
Families enrolled in the district can visit the link below to see if they qualify for the Free and Reduced Lunch program.