From Your Neighbors

Cherokee County, GA has a median household income of over $108,000. On paper, school meal debt shouldn't exist here. But it does, and the reasons go far beyond income. From cash flow gaps to broken notification systems to a July application window many families miss, here are seven reasons meal debt is a systems problem, not a poverty problem.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act made sweeping changes to SNAP and Medicaid, and the effects are already rippling into school cafeterias. When fewer families qualify for automatic direct certification, more children fall into the gap between qualifying for help and paying full price, and school meal debt grows. Here's what changed, what it means for Georgia families, and where neighbors fit in.