Read previewThe Arby's Foundation has committed $1 million to wipe the lunch debt burden for tens of thousands of students across the US, including 7,413 students in Georgia. AdvertisementAn estimated 30.4 million students have student lunch debts, totaling a combined debt of $262 million per year, according to the Education Data Initiative. AdvertisementAn elementary school in Ohio came under fire last year when it excluded indebted children from buying ice cream on "Ice Cream Friday." Kids with outstanding school lunch debt were prohibited from buying ice cream even if they came with the necessary $1. The debt problem persists despite legislative efforts such as the School Lunch Debt Cancellation Act of 2023.

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Persons: —, Rita Patel, Arby's, Insider's Juliana Kaplan, Tiffany Haddish Organizations: Service, Business, Atlanta, Education Data Locations: Georgia, Ohio, Boardman , Ohio