$50,000 donation made toward Columbia student lunch debt

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A $50,000 donation from the Columbia Public Schools Foundation was made Friday to reduce student lunch debt, according to a press release from CPSF.

The donation was made to the Lunch For Learners Fund. A Thursday email from a CPS spokesperson stated that school lunch debt sat at $124,613. CPS spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark wrote the Lunch for Learners Fund now has $75,896.81 in its account. 

"We work with the families to determine if a student’s circumstances allow their debt to be covered by funds from the account.  Not all the debt is from students who are in circumstances that have impacted their ability to pay for their meals.  In the case, where a family can pay but chooses not to those debts are sent to collections," Baumstark wrote.

The Lunch for Learners fund was created in 2010 by then-Superintendent Chris Belcher and Nutrition Services Director Laina Fullum. The Columbia Public Schools Foundation is a private foundation established by community volunteers.

Last month, community member Ken Rice – who ran in April’s school board election – also asked for community support in knocking out the debt.

The release says donations can be made online at cpsf.org/donate; or by mailing the CPSF at P.O. Box 1234, Columbia, MO 65205.