SALT LAKE CITY — Student lunch debt across Utah is approaching $4 million, according to data collected from every school district in the state — the fourth consecutive year FOX 13 has tracked the figure.
The total surpassed $3.9 million, a 7 percent increase over the previous year. While that growth is smaller than the more than 30 percent spike seen in 2025, most districts are not seeing significant declines in the debt they carry.
FOX 13 News spoke with people in Salt Lake City to ask them about the widening affordability gap. "It's insane – the cost of living is crazy," Ray Sanchez said. "The price of gas, rent, groceries, everything has gone up way faster than my salary over the last several years."
Others echoed that sentiment.
"Considering the recent inflation and everything – the prices are going so high – we are not able to afford the lifestyle we could afford previously," said Valleh, who lives in Salt Lake City.
Verena, who is from Payson, sends her son to school with a homemade meal every day. When told that student lunch debt in Utah is approaching $4 million, she was not surprised. "It just seems like everything else is going to explode. Everything else is going to cost more – why not student lunches?" Verena said.
She added that the financial pressure weighs on her. "I have a child, so childcare, food, gas, clothing – everything feels like it's twice as expensive as it used to be now," Verena said. "My child's future" is her biggest worry, she said.
Neil Rickard, a child nutrition advocate with Utahns Against Hunger, said the data reflects broader economic conditions. "Ultimately, as the cost of living goes up, as you see an economic crunch, you're going to see that reflected in these numbers," Rickard said.
He pointed to some positive signs in this year's data. Twelve school districts reported their debt decreased since last year, and the overall rate of growth slowed considerably compared to 2025."To see lunch debt going down at all in the current economic climate is good news," Rickard said.
Some of those improvements may be tied to House Bill 100, which expanded free meals to families who qualify for reduced-price lunch.
"I am really optimistic in terms of the impact of HB 100. It was a narrow fix targeted just towards families that would have qualified for reduced-price meals. So it's a relatively small portion of the overall pool contributing to meal debt, but it is going to help a lot in terms of things like outreach," Rickard said.
Still, some districts are struggling more than others. Granite School District's debt alone is approaching $1 million. "It is difficult for some districts more than others. Some districts are larger than others. Some districts have more diverse populations than others. There are a lot of challenges that go into it, and ultimately, some families are always likely to fall through the cracks," Rickard said.
One couple visiting Salt Lake City said they hope more change is coming.
"I think we need to take care of our kids," Joe Tassoni said.
The full data set is available on the FOX 13 website so viewers can see how the issue affects their own community.
FOX 13's School Lunch Debt Blitz is now underway. Through the remainder of the month, viewers can donate to help Utah families pay off lunch debt.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.