Student lunch debt cut by thousands. Here’s where it stands for each Horry school
UPDATE: A combination of various community donations has helped cut thousands of dollars worth of Horry County Schools’ student lunch during the past week heading into the holiday break.
The Sun News reported last week that the district’s total “negative meal balances” equaled nearly $100,000, according to HCS Nutrition Services, but that total is down to $74,844.10 as of Thursday.
Here is a school-by-school breakdown of the lunch debt, provided as a result of a Freedom of Information Act request:
- Aynor High- $1,154.51
- North Myrtle Beach High- $34.65
- Conway High- $6,006.61
- Green Sea Floyds High- $21.85
- Loris High- $3,899.32
- Myrtle Beach High- $877.70
- Socastee High- $231.83
- Whittemore Park Middle- $873.69
- Aynor Elementary- $3,857.41
- Myrtle Beach Middle- $5.58
- Conway Middle- $4,187.46
- Daisy Elementary- 0
- Green Sea Floyds Elementary- $160.40
- Homewood Elementary- $728.38
- Loris Middle- 0
- Kingston Elementary- $708.98
- Lakewood Elementary- $8,286.10
- St. James Elementary- 0
- Loris Elementary- $524.35
- Midland Elementary- $2,682.70
- Conway Elementary- $4,814.73
- North Myrtle Beach Middle- $3,683.30
- Pee Dee Elementary- 0
- Waccamaw Elementary- 0
- South Conway Elementary- $119.48
- Forestbrook Elementary- $2,835.46
- St. James Middle- $1,126.61
- Carolina Forest Elementary- $1,046.44
- Seaside Elementary- $1,013.08
- Forestbrook Middle- $655.12
- Carolina Forest High School- $6,884.22
- Socastee Elementary- 0
- Palmetto Bays Elementary- 0
- Aynor Middle- $3,330.08
- St. James High- $3,369.01
- Ocean Bay Elementary- $871.60
- Ocean Bay Middle- $674.49
- Black Water Middle- $25.60
- Burgess Elementary- $183.70
- Early College High- $1,729.99
- River Oaks Elementary- $882.53
- Ocean Drive Elementary- $783.21
- Waterway Elementary- $1,177.65
- Riverside Elementary- $153.77
- Socastee Middle- $517.28
- Ten Oaks Middle- $133.46
- St. James Intermediate- $505.21
- Myrtle Beach Early Childhood- 0
- Myrtle Beach Primary- 0
- Myrtle Beach Elementary- $17.15
- Horry County Alternative- $714.43
- Academy for Arts and Science- $642.26
- Academy of Tech and Academics- $2,712.72
Students are allowed to accumulate up to $20 in debt before they’re given a “courtesy meal” instead of a regular lunch, according to District Spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier.
Bourcier noted that lunch debt follows students throughout their time in public school, and the district’s best opportunity to collect that money is often students’ senior year because they will be unable to walk at graduation ceremonies with unpaid debt.
The average cost of lunch is $2.60, or 40 cents for students who qualify for reduced lunches, according to Bourcier. More than 20,700 students, or about 45 percent of the student population, in the district qualify for free or reduced lunches, according to Bourcier.
HCS food services department has its own $23 million budget separate from the district’s general fund, and it is primarily funded by the federal government, she said.
Those wishing to donate can write a check directly to the school or drop a check off at the district office, courtesy of nutrition services.
Editor’s note: This story was updated on Dec. 20, 2019.
This story was originally published December 20, 2019 at 12:40 PM.
