Between 2016 and 2018, school lunch debt climbed from $2,000 to $2,500 per school district, according to the School Nutrition Association. Though most districts won’t deny students lunch, the debt remains on their student profile and may restrict them from participating in other activities.
The idea of making school lunches free is catching on across the country. Last year, the Tennessee General Assembly considered a similar bill, the Tennessee Hunger-Free Students Act, that would have required school districts to make ever effort to enroll eligible students in the free- or reduced-price meal program.
