Dixon mom raising money to pay off student lunch debt at Jefferson Elementary

DIXON – A Dixon mom of a third grader at Jefferson Elementary is leading a fundraiser with the goal of wiping out student lunch debt at the school.

It all got started when Destiny McElhinney of Dixon brought her son lunch and watched as another child was denied a carton of milk because they had too high of an unpaid balance on their lunch account, McElhinney said in an interview with Shaw Local.

“I know it’s not the staff’s fault, or anything like that. But obviously, that was very heartbreaking,” McElhinney said. “That’s not something that any child should have to worry about, going to school and being hungry.”

For students in grades two and three at Jefferson, a hot lunch, which comes with milk, is $3, Dixon USD 170 Superintendent Margo Empen said in an interview with Shaw Local. Students in kindergarten to 12th grade can buy a separate milk for 65 cents, Empen said.

If students are unable to pay “we will never, ever let them go without a lunch,” Empen said.

Instead, the cafeteria staff will charge the amount to the student’s account and it becomes an outstanding balance. Sometimes the charges add up and don’t get paid for a variety of reasons, Empen said.

“This is something that we face every year,” Empen said. “I would not say that this year is any worse or better than any other year.”

To get balances paid off, the district will work with the students' parents to either set up a payment plan or help them sign up for the free and reduced lunch program if they meet the income requirements, Empen said.

“We’ve had very generous individuals, companies and families over the years who have raised money to pay off these debts so parents don’t have to worry about coming up with that money,” Empen said.

McElhinney, along with her sister, Devin McElhinney, designed flyers the week of Dec. 9 and distributed them to local businesses and posted them on Facebook. On Friday they reached $150 in donations, McElhinney said.

“The goal right now is to start at Jefferson, get the debt paid off and then hopefully spread out and be able to help other schools in Dixon,” she said.