USD 465
USD 465 is celebrating an extraordinary act of generosity that is making a meaningful difference for students and families across the district. During the January 12 Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Tricia Reiser shared the exciting news that the district received an unexpected donation totaling $15,432.00, which fully eliminated outstanding debt for unpaid student lunches.
“This generous gift directly supports our families and ensures that students can focus on learning without the burden of meal debt,” said Reiser. “We are incredibly grateful.”
According to Elizabeth Smith, USD 465 Business Manager and Board of Education Treasurer, families will now see negative balances removed from their school meal accounts. Every student in our district will start off the spring semester with a clean slate for their lunch accounts.
“This donation is truly a blessing,” Smith said. “We thank and bless the person who chose to help our students and families in such a meaningful way.” Smith states, “Every student in the district regardless of whether or not they have a negative balance has the opportunity to be provided a meal; possibly an alternative meal depending on the grade level. We want to ensure every student is fed.”
This year, 1,136 USD 465 students qualify for free or reduced meals, based on family income. This represents more than half of the district’s total enrollment. The donation specifically impacts approximately 450 students who were carrying meal debt. In some cases, the debt may have accrued prior to a student qualifying for free or reduced meals.
Parents are encouraged to apply for free/reduced price meals. KSDE's guidelines to qualify for a family of 5 for free meals are families that earn less than $48,945 and to qualify for reduced less than $69,653. Each additional person in the household adds $7,150 to the earnings to qualify for free and $10,175 to qualify for reduced. USD 465 encourages families to remember that if their financial situation changes at any point during the school year, they may apply or reapply for free or reduced price meal benefits at that time. Applications and assistance are available through the District Office.
USD 465 extends its heartfelt gratitude to the anonymous donor for their compassion and commitment to supporting students and families in the Winfield community.