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Bend Teacher Aims To Erase School Lunch Debt

BEND, OR -- About half of the kids at Bend's Buckingham Elementary qualify for free or reduced breakfast and lunch, and the school cafeteria doesn't turn away students who can't pay. But, with the end of the year fast approaching, the school lunch program has racked up an $800 debt. 

 

Student teacher Michelle Kajikawa started a GoFundMe account to help erase that debt. She says if it isn't reduced, it'll be paid from elsewhere in the budget. "With our particular population at Buckingham, I think they feel that it's better to have fed, healthy kids. That supports learning, and if it sometimes creates a financial challenge at the end of the year, it's worth it to keep kids fed and keep that going throughout the year."

 

As of Wednesday morning, the page has raised $130, but Kajikawa is hopeful they'll meet the $800 goal before school ends next week. She tells KBND News, "I actually got this idea - I can't remember what school it was, but I have some friends that are teachers in the Portland area, and there's a number of Portland Public Schools that have done similar campaigns. Sometimes those campaigns get so lively, people talk about them so widely, one person will step in and pay off the entire balance for the school." 

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