Running down meal debt: MCPS aims to raise funds through Gaithersburg 5K race

District, Manna Food Center to hold community resource fair at Bohrer Park

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April 10, 2026 10:47 a.m.

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Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Superintendent Thomas Taylor is expected to lace up his running shoes Saturday to join nearly 300 community members for the 5K Superintendent’s Shuffle in Gaithersburg’s Bohrer Park, an event aimed at decreasing the school district’s more than $1.2 million in school lunch debt.  

“We want to make sure that our kids have their basic needs provided for and we’re also looking for fun and engaging ways to inspire people to donate and to help us raise funds to reverse the trend,” Taylor told Bethesda Today on Wednesday. 

A total of 277 people were set to join Taylor, who is a runner, in the race as of Wednesday, according to MCPS spokesperson Chris Cram. Registration for the race began at $30 per person and $140 for a family to register for four runners. Sponsorships for the race ranging in cost from $500 to $15,000 were also available.  

In addition to the race, MCPS and local foodbank Manna Food Center will offer a community resource fair — a “family-friendly event focused on strengthening the link between good nutrition and good health” – at the park, Manna said in a Tuesday statement.  

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School meal debt occurs when students are unable to pay for their meals. According to Taylor, the district’s Food and Nutrition Services, which provides school meals, is an “enterprise fund,” meaning it can only spend as much as it takes in.  

“When we are short, it does impact things like labor and food quality,” he said. “So to the extent that we can actually fully fund our food nutrition services, it has an impact in the kitchen. It has an impact in our students’ bellies.” 

During fiscal year 2026, MCPS accrued $318,667 in meal debt, and in total, MCPS has an outstanding meal debt of more than $1.2 million, according to the district.   

Proceeds from the 5k will go toward offsetting the meal debt through an initiative with the Montgomery County Public Schools Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises funds for the district and which is seeking to raise $500,000 to help settle the meal debt.  

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The foundation “fundraises to address debt accrued by students while their families wait for approval to receive free meals through [the federal free and reduced-price meal program] because we believe food security is critical for learning and students should be able to [reach] meals without shame or stress of financial burdens,” according to its website.  

Taylor said some students receive free or reduced meals, but other students who don’t quite meet the income criteria for the program must pay for lunch.  

“We don’t refuse meal service to anyone,” Taylor said. “That food does come at a cost, so we do actually have to account for everything. And so this is fiscal responsibility at its finest, and also looking at philanthropy as a way of bringing our community in to support this effort.” 

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine