With zero fanfare, anonymous donor wipes out $119K in SPS student lunch debt

There was no press release, no grip-and-grin check presentation and no public thank you.

In late summer, days after details of record student lunch debt within Springfield Public Schools were published by the News-Leader, someone quietly dropped off a check at local nonprofit Care to Learn.

The gift was enough to wipe out the entire $119,000 that was owed.

"Overwhelmed. Appreciative," said Kim Keller, general manger of student nutrition, when asked her reaction.

The gift-giver wanted no public recognition. His or her name was not attached to the gift.

"They're not doing it to get the accolades. They're doing it to help those folks that really need the help," Keller said. "We live in an amazing community that is so giving and I'm grateful for that."

In Springfield and many communities in the U.S., student lunch debt soared after federal pandemic relief programs — which provided school meals at no charge to families — were suspended last year.

Families struggling to make ends meet financially were faced with that added expense and despite assistance from districts, including Springfield, fewer families were filling out the application for free or reduced-price school meals — paperwork that had not been required during the pandemic.

"It has been confusing for families over the last years because of COVID. For 2-1/2 to three years, we were feeding them for free and they didn't fill out an application for free meals," Keller said. "That is an application that has to be filled out every year."

Elementary students pay $3.05 for lunch and middle and high school students pay $3.30. The cost for breakfast is $1.70.

Students who qualify for reduced-price meals pay 30 cents for breakfast and 40 cents for lunch. The amount has not changed in years.

In early October, more than 53% of SPS students qualified for free or reduced price meals.

$119K check not the only donation

The late summer donation of $119,000 — enough to pay for 36,615 elementary lunches — may not have ever been made public if not for a Sunshine Law request.

Every two to three months, the News-Leader files a request for copies of all emails to and from the school board. It is a routine request, a way to see what questions the members are asking outside of meetings and what messages they are getting from the public.

This week, SPS turned over more than 700 pages of emails. Tucked into the mix were a mere two lines about the donation.

In a July 27 email, Superintendent Grenita Lathan gave a weekly update to the board on a range of back-to-school and other topics. In it, she wrote: "We received a check from Care to Learn from a generous donor for $119,000 to pay off (2022-23) meal charges of students."

Care to Learn confirmed the donation but was tight-lipped, saying only "it was an anonymous donor."

The News-Leader reached out to Stephen Hall, chief communications officer, who said the donation that came through Care to Learn was not the only one.

The Community Foundation of the Ozarks and the Musgrave Foundation each donated $15,000 — a total of $30,000 — to help families struggling to pay for school meals.

More: SPS ends year with $119K in unpaid school lunches, prices go up slightly for 2023-24

Bridget Dierks, vice president of programs at CFO, said "The CFO and the Musgrave Foundation were happy to be a small part of a much larger effort to solve the lunch debt issue. We are grateful to SPS and Care to Learn for their leadership."

Hall said the district wanted to celebrate the donations "very publicly" but they "graciously declined."

"They just really wanted it to go where the need was," he said. "That is really heartwarming to know that we have people and entities in our community that care more about the impact of the gift than receiving credit for giving it."

Keller said in addition to the large gifts, the district and Foundation for Springfield Public Schools periodically get calls from individuals or groups wanting to give different amounts. "They'll call and say 'Can I donate $15 to pay off a student's lunch account?' They just want to help."

Offering help to limit future lunch debt

Given the three big donations — totaling $149,000 — the district opted against wiping out each student lunch debt account without an explanation.

"This was a conversation among all the partners at the table because we first want to honor donor intent," Hall said noting talks with Care to Learn, CFO and Musgrave.

Hall said given that the gifts were one-time money, the district wanted to stretch it out and reach out to families to offer other support as the debt was being wiped out during the first quarter of the fall semester.

"The consensus at the table was about being sure we were addressing not only current but future needs," he said.

First, the district sent a letter to families with leftover school meal debt. SPS provided details about why the parents need to apply for free or reduced-price school meals by Oct. 3.

"Families that were on reduced or free meals last year, they have a 30-day grace period where they still get benefits the first 30 days of school," Keller said. "Oct. 3 was that drop-off date."

Hall said the district took advantage of that window, when families who had qualified in the past were not charged, to encourage them to apply this year. As the applications came in, the district used the donations to wipe out any of the old debt.

"That was our focus through Oct. 3," he said. "Then once that window closed, we began to address the debt of those who had not filled out the form."

Hall said families can apply at any time during the year and may not realize it is the gateway to accessing additional support at the district and state level.

For example, students who qualify can get a break on the cost for busing, ACT college readiness exams, dual credit courses, and wraparound services including before and after school care.

The U.S. Department of Education also uses a district's free and reduced-price school meal rate to determine how much Title I funding is distributed, which can be used to pay for additional staffing, programs and services that are intended to help students at risk of lagging behind their peers.

"The free and reduced meal application is not only about receiving support with nutrition and meals throughout the school year," Hall said. "It is also the first step in accessing other support services."

Want to apply?

Springfield families who want to apply for free or reduced-price school meals can do so at any time. An online form is available at www.sps.org.

For example, a family of four is eligible if their family income is at or below $55,000.

Claudette Riley covers education for the News-Leader. Email tips and story ideas to criley@news-leader.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: With zero fanfare, donor to wipe out $119K in SPS student lunch debt