City Council Approves Challenge Donation to Reduce Student Lunch Debt

CITY COUNCIL APPROVES CHALLENGE TO REDUCE STUDENT LUNCH DEBT

Council approves up to $25,000 in matching donations to support reducing school lunch debt

RAPID CITY, SD—At Monday’s meeting, the Rapid City Council followed through with a pledge to establish a challenge fund up to $25,000 to match contributions to the Fed and Ready to Learn School Lunch Deficit Reduction Program.

            At the August 5 meeting, City Council member Greg Strommen announced the Council’s support of the local effort to reduce the school lunch debt in the Rapid City Area School District.  Strommen’s announcement was in the form of a challenge to local businesses, individuals and organizations to support the program and a commitment from the City Council to match donations dollar for dollar up to $25,000.  The Council donation would come from the Council’s contingency fund.

             To formalize the effort, the Council needed to bring an official motion to the City’s Legal and Finance Committee meeting on August 14 and to the full Council Monday night for approval.  The measure passed without objection.  The Council did extend the time frame for the Challenge, approving up to $25,000 in matching donations during the period of August 5 through November 30.

            The Fed & Ready to Learn is a program managed through the Black Hills Area Community Foundation and supported by the Rapid City Public School Foundation. 

            Strommen said the issue was discussed by Council members at a work session earlier this summer.  He also referenced the efforts of the City’s Youth Council, which held a community fundraiser earlier this year to support reducing school lunch debt.

            “As a Council, we’d like to issue a challenge to the businesses, individuals and organizations in Rapid City that are like-minded and believe this Fed and Ready to Learn is a good program which students will benefit by better attendance, academic performance and behavior in student’s lives.” Strommen told audience members at the August 5 Council meeting.

            For more information on the program, contact Krista Leischner, Student Nutrition Manager of the Rapid City Area Schools at 605-394-4061. To give to this fund, here is the link to give: https://bhacf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=4662