Here some more perspective to Measure 2 because some think that everyone is getting fed and it's already being paid for. But according to the article some district will withhold transcript or turn the bill over to a collection agencies. Legislation passed in 2023 lack the funds to pay for law.
Every K-12 student has the legal right to receive a lunch at school in North Dakota without any stigma or shaming. But students and families who can’t afford to pay can still have long-term consequences, and some students may choose to go hungry to avoid them.
School districts statewide reported student meal debt of about $2 million at the end of the 2025-26 school year,
Johnson reported to lawmakers last month. That does not include donations of nearly $46,000 that helped some districts pay down their debt, or transfers of nearly $500,000 from districts’ general fund budgets to reduce the debt.
“Students know that they have a large negative balance, or they don’t have money, and they know that they will accumulate debt if they take the meal, even though they can’t be refused it,” Johnson said.
She and others have heard anecdotes about students who choose not to go through the lunch line to avoid building up debt, who will visit the restroom during lunch to avoid the stigma, or older students who leave school premises so nobody knows their family can’t afford to pay for lunch.
Meyer said there needs to be a conversation in the Legislature about the lack of funding provided in the 2023 bill, which mandates schools provide a meal to students who request one even if they have a negative account balance.
For the full read go to:
https://www.valleynewslive.com/2026...collections-if-they-cant-afford-school-lunch/
