As of Wednesday, Feb. 21, Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) has suspended its policy of referring lunch debtors to the debt collection agency, Professional Choice Recovery. Current debts managed by the agency will be recalled. According to the Flatwater Free Press, LPS has sent over 1,700 students with debt to collection agencies. The change was prompted by advice from the LPS school board.

“They used to send students to debt collectors. That is really stressful for students, they’re just trying to eat food,” junior Elise Mielak said. “If they are having that lunch debt, there’s obviously a financial reason.”

LPS utilizes My School Bucks to manage student accounts for payment for meals. LPS says their policy will remain to provide meals to students regardless of whether their accounts are negative. LPS Food Service Staff says that they are able to continue to provide meals regardless of outstanding debt.

“Food is expensive, and it (funding) has to come from somewhere,” LSW Food Service manager Tammy Smith said. “Our department is actually self-sustaining, we are not run by tax dollars. The money that students are paying goes directly for the purchase of that food and our equipment and our payroll and maintenance and electricity and trash removal. It’s like a small business within the school.”

LPS still intends to address student debt. The district claims that it plans to revise its lunch debt policy to be in compliance with state Senator Danielle Conrad’s proposed legislation LB855, which would prohibit school districts from utilizing outside agencies for debt collection.