Business owner pays lunch charges before holidays — for entire Georgia school district

As students finish up their exams, pack up their bags and get ready to wind down for winter break, many face a nagging anxiety — overdue balances on their lunch accounts that, in some schools, could prevent them from receiving grades or diplomas.

But now, those students can come home with a clean slate, thanks to the generosity of Lee County, Ga., business owners Michael and Sarah Strickland of S&S Roofing and Construction. According to the Lee County School System, the Stricklands paid off the entire balance of lunch charges for the entire school system at the end of the day Tuesday, leaving all students’ accounts free and clear for the Spring semester.

“S&S Roofing and Construction — Michael and Sarah Strickland — are very appreciative of our great community, from our school system, police, firefighters, EMS, parents, children, and businesses,” the school system wrote in a release on Facebook.

The entire cost of paying off those school lunches was around $6,500, according to WALB. According to the Census Bureau, about one in 10 people in Lee County live in poverty, which could make it more difficult to keep up with lunch payments. According to ProPublica, about 37 percent of Lee County students receive free or reduced lunch.

Community members in Muscogee County have helped out hungry students as well. Early in 2017, reports of Muscogee County students receiving “alternative” meals after having their choices thrown away if they had overdue charges prompted complaints to the district and an outpouring of donations from the community to help pay off lunch debt.

In Lee County, dozens of community members shared their gratitude to the Stricklands for their donation.

“Growing up as a child of a school superintendent, I quickly learned how precious school lunch is to so many children. This community has supported our company and allowed us to grow in ways Michael and me only dreamed of,” Sarah Strickland wrote on Facebook. “The least we could do is show our appreciation for not only the school system, but for the people that make up our great community.”

This story was originally published December 14, 2017 at 7:55 AM with the headline "Business owner pays lunch charges before holidays — for entire Georgia school district."