BOISE, Idaho — School meals are an important part of fueling students’ academic success.
Supervisor of School Nutrition Services at WASD, Shannon McCarthy-Beasley said, "It's a part of their learning. School lunch is a part of their social life; school lunch is about giving them fuel to get them throughout the day."
According to the Centers for Disease Control, students who participate in school meal programs consume more whole grains, milks, fruits and veggies and have a better overall quality diet.
"Hungry kids do not learn,” McCarthy -Beasley said.
During National School Breakfast Week, West Ada School District leaders asked the community for donations for student lunch balances since COVID-19 waivers have been removed.
"Currently we hover around 100,000 in the negative balance," McCarthy -Beasley said. "It's intimidating for families. It can be very struggling to know that you owe something and know that your child needs to be fed.”
Although students are not denied a meal, McCarthy-Beasley said the district’s general fund pays for it if balances are not collected.
"Once it hits the general fund, that could possibly affect other programs later on down the line and that's not something we want to do,” McCarthy-Beasley said.
Hearing this information encouraged a Boise native to step in and try to help.
Community member Trevor Aguiar says his goal is to make sure money is not a barrier for students to get the best education -- which is why he created a GoFundMe page.
"It's a lot of stress on a family and it's a lot of stress on kids too, but we as a community can step in and pay this off and make sure they are not pulling from other programs throughout the district,” Aguiar said.
"When I was thinking about starting it, I was just like 'maybe I should set a smaller goal, not the 100,000'. Then I was like, 'I don't want to clear out a small portion of the debt. I want all of it gone'," Aguiar said. "I know that we can do it as a community.”
Aguiar said it’s his passion to help youth in the Treasure Valley succeed. He said the GoFundMe page is a starting point for his organization EYES, Equity and Youth Education in Sports.
"If we clear all the debt or even if we don't, we'll move on to the next project. Anything that helps teachers or socioeconomically disadvantaged children reach academic and athletic success,“ Aguiar said.
For now, Aguiar said he is hopeful the community will come together and help clear lunch debt at WASD.
"It may not be you or your kid who is struggling to find their next meal," Aguiar said. "It can be your neighbor or someone that you know.”
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