A Rhode Island school district is going to extraordinary lengths to recoup unpaid lunch debts.
Cranston Public Schools said in a letter that it has hired a California collection agency to recover unpaid balances from its students.
The district said unpaid debts for the academic year now total $45,859.
That’s on top of the $95,508 the school wrote off between Sept. 1, 2016, and June 30, 2018.
A meal at one of the district’s schools costs students $2.50 a day.
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In a letter, chief operating officer Raymond Votto Jr. said Transworld Systems would start collecting on students debts on Jan. 2, 2019.
He said parents or students who owe $20 or more will have to pay up within 60 days, or they will receive a letter from the collection agency in the new year
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“The district lunch program cannot continue to lose revenue,” Votto said.
He added that students who owe money would still get a meal, just like other paying students.
“We’re feeding the children. That’s not in dispute,” Votto said.
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