Source: Stephen Maturen / Getty
In matter of days, children in St. Paul will leave their summer fun behind. They’ll fill the halls of schools like J.J Hill Montessori and fill their stomachs with well balanced meals.
“No child goes hungry so we ensure that every student has breakfast and also lunch whether they can pay or not,” said Stacy Koppen, Nutritional Services Director for St. Paul Public Schools (SPPS).
Some students are eligible for free lunches but those who aren’t and can’t come up with money run up a debt.
“Lunches just for one elementary student are about $400 a year,” Koppen said.
J.J. Hill’s former cafeteria supervisor, Philando Castile, was always ready to help. Castile was killed in July 2016 in Falcon Heights by a St. Anthony police officer during a traffic stop.
“When a student couldn’t pay for their lunch, a lot of times (Castile) actually paid for their lunch out of his own pocket,” she said.
CLICK HERE to read story
