A Catholic parish in Maryland has paid the outstanding school lunch debt for every public school in its county, hoping to ease the burden on families struggling financially.
St Katharine Drexel Parish, in Frederick, Maryland, has long worked with local churches and other organisations to provide food for people in need. During the school year, the groups supply weekend meals to children who receive free or reduced-price school lunches.
As the 2025–26 school year came to an end, however, parishioners at St Katharine Drexel undertook an even larger initiative, paying off the outstanding school lunch debt for the entire Frederick County Public Schools system at a cost of US$11,800.
