Pupils’ lunch debts all paid

More than $13,000 in student lunch debt in Denver Public Schools last year is expected to be paid off this month, ensuring that all kids will receive regular hot-lunch options instead of alternate meals this coming school year.

A local nonprofit, Kidsgiving365, has raised $11,000 since May through a Gofundme campaign to pay off the DPS student lunch debt. Meanwhile, Shift Workspaces, founded by Grant Barnhill, a parent of an incoming DPS student, is donating $2,910 to the cause. Combined, the pair will erase the total of $13,910 in student lunch debt, according to DPS.

“We will feed every kid, every day,” said DPS Superintendent Tom Boasberg on the district’s website. “We know hungry kids aren’t the best learners.”

If the debt has not been relieved, some children would have received a cheese sandwich, or graham crackers, and milk, as an alternative meal.

That won’t happen in 2017-2018.

“We are grateful to our community, our students and our business partners for their support. We will be working with them and with federal officials to ensure that every child has the opportunity for breakfast and lunch every day.”

The district is thankful for generous donors as it continues to work on longterm solutions, Boasberg said.

Kidsgiving365 said it intends to donate the full amount of $13,910 by Aug. 21.

“We are grateful to the hundreds of people, many of whom are children, who donated money to make sure that every belly is full with a hot lunch, so that students can focus on learning and not being hungry,” said Deborah Sherman, Kidsgiving365 president.