The Sioux City School Board approved a recommendation to utilize the NCS collection agency to recover unpaid student lunch balances exceeding $300 in their meeting on Monday.
Angela Bemus, associate superintendent, reported that by the end of a semester the district was facing between $80,000 and $90,000 in unpaid lunch debt.
Bemus also said that the school district has exhausted every method they could think of to collect the balances and that she doesn’t want to create a barrier for families in the district.
Efforts by the district included sending out letters in the mail, making phone calls, and including reminders in newsletters.
As of May 27, the total outstanding lunch debt stood at $79,628, with 53 students owing more than $300.
The recommendation passed with a 5-2 vote.
