Once upon a time, COVID funding allowed every K-12 student in America to eat a school lunch free of charge. With that money gone, school districts like Meade County need to get crafty to keep lunch debts manageable.
Meade County, population roughly 30,000, has a local school lunch debt totaling about $24,000, according to district officials. To manage it previously, the district was able to rely on the generosity of the community.
Now, the district has seen those donations slow. But there’s new hope thanks to a grant from the Black Hills Community Foundation made possible by an anonymous donor.
Rhonda Ramsdell is the districts food service director.
“We noticed that, just eventually, the balances got out of control to the point where the donations were not covering it,” Ramsdell said.
Ramsdell said she’s grateful for the donation, as she believes it makes a meaningful difference in student lives.
“Kids should not have to worry about food," Ramsdell said. "That should be the last thing on the mind of a child in school. Kids have a lot on their plates these days – and I don’t mean that as a pun. They have a lot going on, and food should be the least of their worries.”
However, Ramsdell stays realistic. She said this kind of community action is needed with no sign of help on the horizon.
“I’m really thankful for this," Ramsdell said. "Since universally funded meals aren’t likely to happen, either at the federal level or the state level, then I think this is the best opportunity we have. I remember during the COVID time we didn’t have to charge anyone. All we had to do was feed kids, and that’s what we’re good at. Kids didn’t have to worry whether they had money on their account. Now, it’s back to the pre-COVID program, and we’ve got to deal with this.”
Many school districts allow for donations, and those are often organized by contacting the district food and nutrition services office.