Couple Wants To Pay Off Negative School Lunch Accounts

HOLLY SPRINGS, GA -- A Holly Springs couple is hoping the community will come together and help families wipe out negative lunch account balances belonging to students in the Cherokee County School District.

Jonathan and Amanda Gold have launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for their initiative. The CCSD School Lunch Accounts project hopes to raise $5,000 to help families in the district. As of Wednesday afternoon, $555 had been raised.

Amanda Gold said the idea stemmed from learning about the predicament of her daughter's classmate at Indian Knoll Elementary School. That student's family had fallen on hard times, and she was not able to afford to purchase lunch. The lunchroom staff provided the student with a cheese sandwich, some fruit and milk or juice to drink.

“It’s not a ton of food, and it’s really embarrassing when it happens to the kids," she said, adding she didn't want her daughter's friend to experience that. Gold asked her daughter to allow her friend to use her account to purchase lunch.

However, the issue didn't recede into the back of Gold's mind. She approached the school's lunch room manager and asked what was the collective, outstanding balance of lunch accounts at Indian Knoll. She learned the school had $79 dollars worth of negative accounts, and she decided to pay off the balance.

She told her husband, Jonathan, about the situation, and they both decided to help other families in the district with its GoFundMe campaign.

"The last thing kids (should) have to worry about is how to pay for lunch," she added. "They should be at school to learn and not be made fun of because they have to get a sack lunch or embarrassed when their lunch is thrown out in front of them.”

• Check out or donate to the GoFundMe campaign by clicking here.
  

The Cherokee County School District currently has $2,230 in unpaid lunch accounts. However, school district spokesperson Barbara Jacoby said checks from the schools are being collected and processed. She also said each of the schools have sent letters home to parents who have unpaid balances asking them to pay the charges to "avoid limiting their child's lunch choices."

In the district, students who are hungry will not walk away from the cafeteria without receiving a lunch, Jacoby added. Students with unpaid balances receive a meal consisting of a cheese sandwich, a fruit or vegetable and a milk or juice of their choice.

"It’s important to note that these are not students whose families cannot afford to buy their lunches – those students are eligible for the lunch of their choice for free or a greatly reduced price based on household income," she added, noting the district encourages parents to apply for its free or reduced-price lunch program.

Gold said she's also reached out to Holly Springs Mayor Steven Miller, and they are hoping to meet with members of the Cherokee County School Board to see what could be done on a broader level. She also said she's been spreading the word about the campaign via social media to make other parents aware of what their children's peers could be facing.

"A lot of parents who can afford food are not aware of what happens when a child can’t afford their lunch," she added.

Once the money is raised, Gold said the funds could be distributed into what's called an angel fund at any particular school. The money could then be used to pay off the negative balances. She added she hopes the campaign picks up over the summer. Many parents or guardians tend to be financially stretched at the beginning of the school year, as they have to money to pay for summer camps, school supplies and new clothing and shoes for youngsters.

She added she hopes she and Holly Springs' first-term mayor can inform the school board about their plans and work with them on providing a long-term solution.

“This is just the beginning of something he and I want to do to bring awareness and help those families out," she said.

Image via GoFundMe