KELLER, Texas — Beginning Oct. 21, the Keller Independent School District said it will begin serving an alternative meal to some students who have unpaid meal charges.
The district said this applies to students across all grade levels with unpaid lunch balances greater than $25.
"Keller ISD schools want to first ensure that all students have access to nutritious meals during school hours regardless of financial circumstances, while also addressing costly negative balances that may be accrued," the district said in a letter to parents.
The district said for breakfast students will receive a SunButter and jelly sandwich and the lunch entree will be a turkey and cheese sandwich. Both meals will be served with fruit and the student's choice of white or chocolate milk, according to Keller ISD.
"The meal is intended to be nutritionally balanced and meets the dietary guidelines set forth by the Texas Department of Agriculture and the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program," the district said in a letter to parents.
The district goes on to say campus cashiers will "proactively but discreetly" notify students when their account is getting close to the $25 negative balance threshold.
"Cafeteria and school employees will be trained to handle these situations as discreetly as possible," the district said.
Upon reaching the $25 negative balance threshold, the district said it will notify parents that their child will receive an alternative meal until the balance is resolved.
School lunch debt is a big problem in the U.S. with more than 30 million students unable to afford meals, according to the Education Data Initiative, a research team that collects data and statistics regarding the U.S. education system. 68.8% of surveyed schools across the country have students with unpaid meal debt.
