The Bristol Borough School District made headlines throughout Pennsylvania when it announced last week it is forgiving more than $20, 000 of student lunch debt.
The debt which has been accrued over the last three or four years, district officials say, will be forgiven for students with the opening of district schools Wednesday.
“At a meeting conducted earlier in the 2022 school year the Bristol Borough Board of Education
cancelled any prior lunch debt for any negative balances through June 30th, 2022. Any student who owed monies for prior lunch debt has been absolved. Beginning in the 22-23 school year all lunch debt will begin to accrue again as it did under prior practices and policies. Any positive balances remain on the account and are able to be used during the 2022-23 school year” said a release from the district.
The board voted unanimously to cancel the debt after members of a local organization, the Bucks Cancel Lunch Debt Coalition, highlighted the issue at a board meeting in February.
Its the kind of “good news” for students and their families School Board President David Chichilitti said the board was happy to share and support, Monday.
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When told, according to a Bucks County Courier report that canceling student lunch debt made “national headlines” Chichilitti said he had no idea.
He instead chose to focus on the impact for school district students and their families.
We want our kids to be healthy while in school. Missing meals due to affordability is not something the administration wants to see.
This is one of many ways the board can support our students on the road to academic success, he said.
Headlines are nice, he said, students eating lunch is better.
Business Manager Chris McHugh told WHYY Radio about 70 percent of the students in the district qualify for free or reduced price lunches.
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With the slate clean, and schools opening erasing the debt, the district said, eases the minds of all involved, Chichilitti said.
“We’re real frugal with the way we spend our money. We have to be” he said.