SALT LAKE CITY — Utah drivers now have a new way to help students facing unpaid school meal balances.
The Utah Lunch Debt Relief Foundation has launched a new specialty license plate that directs $30 from each annual registration renewal toward paying off school lunch debt across the state.
The blue-and-white "Feed Utah Kids" plate became available through the Utah Department of Motor Vehicles this month after an approval process that took about 18 months, according to foundation founder and executive director DJ Bracken.
“Most people don't think about renewing their registration. It's something you do every year,” Bracken said. “Now you know when you see those license plates out there, that's someone who cared about helping feed Utah kids.”
A new plate costs $53.75. Of that amount, $30 goes toward school lunch debt while the remainder covers DMV fees, shipping and registration costs. Each annual renewal sends another $30 to the nonprofit.
The foundation says the plate offers a simple, long-term way for Utahns to support families struggling to keep up with school meal costs.
According to FOX13 reporting, Utah schools carried $3.8 million in unpaid lunch debt last year.
Bracken said many people are surprised by the size of the problem.
“These are kids down the street. These are kids that your kid goes to school with,” he said. “People want to know how to help, and this is a very easy way to help.”
The Utah Lunch Debt Relief Foundation was created in 2024 and has since paid off lunch debt at more than 80 schools statewide.
Bracken said fundraising school by school can be challenging, which made the specialty plate an appealing option.
He estimates that 5,000 specialty plates would generate about $150,000 annually — enough to cover the average lunch debt at roughly 70 schools.
More than 500 Utahns expressed interest in the plate before it officially launched, and Bracken said orders are already being processed.
Drivers who purchase one can expect to see the plates arrive within two to four weeks.
The foundation credits the idea in part to Utah's popular black-and-white specialty plates.
Bracken said a friend suggested creating a plate that could raise money to address school lunch debt, leading to the effort that eventually gained approval from the state.
Drivers can find instructions on how to order the plate online at utldr.org/plate.
The plate is available for cars, trucks and trailers and can also be personalized.
“A lot of people want to help,” he said. “You get the license plate, it sits on your car, and you know that you're helping toward our very massive lunch debt problem.”
The goal is to create a steady source of funding to help students whose families fall behind on meal payments.
"I always tell a particular story where there was a 9-year-old girl who was refusing to get lunch, crying in the lunchroom because she owed too much lunch debt and her parents were arguing about it," Bracken said. "That's the kind of thing we're trying to address here. 9-year-olds should not think about debt. They should be focused on math or recess or things at school, not debt."