A local nonprofit is making sure hundreds of Canyon ISD students won't carry unpaid lunch balances into the new school year.
The Canyon ISD Board of Trustees recently accepted a $13,641.84 donation from Upward 4 Kids to pay off lunch debt for elementary, intermediate and junior high students for the 2025-26 school year.
Superintendent Darryl Flusche thanked the organization during the board meeting, saying its work makes a real difference for families across the district.
"We're very grateful for this group of individuals who seek donations and do fundraising so that they can support students in Canyon ISD in this low-income circumstance," Flusche said.
Lunch debt often builds up at the beginning of the school year while families are waiting for their free or reduced-price meal applications to be approved. Once those applications are accepted, meals are covered going forward, but the charges that piled up beforehand still have to be paid.
That's where Upward 4 Kids comes in.
According to President Julie Hulsey, the nonprofit makes payments throughout the year, with this latest donation covering the remaining balance at the end of the school year.
Hulsey said Canyon ISD doesn't take away hot meals from students whose families have unpaid balances.
Instead, the nonprofit works with local donors and community partners to help erase that debt while also supporting students in other ways.
Upward 4 Kids provides school supplies, snacks, lunches and other basic necessities for students attending Canyon ISD elementary, intermediate and junior high schools. The organization expanded into the junior highs this year and hopes to continue growing.
"We're hoping to add the high schools," Hulsey said. "This year, we finally were able to add the junior highs, so that's a new thing for us. So the more money that we can get, the more schools that we can do."
The nonprofit has also added hygiene closets at every campus it serves. The closets are stocked with items school nurses identified as common needs, including deodorant, socks, hair care products and feminine hygiene supplies.
Next week, volunteers will begin sorting donated school supplies before delivering them to campuses so students have what they need before classes begin.
A Canyon ISD spokesperson said the district is grateful for the donation.
While lunch debt has been cleared for younger students, some balances remain at the high school level. The district said students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals still have a combined lunch debt of $4,293.25.
