BOISE, Idaho — The Boise School District is expressing gratitude after an anonymous donor paid off students' lunch debt at Timberline High School and Shadow Hills Elementary.
The unexpected gift came Tuesday, according to the district, from a person who asked not to be credited publicly. The donation wipes out about $1,600 in outstanding lunch debt at the two schools.
District spokesman Dan Hollar said the schools were "just delighted" by the charitable gift.
"It speaks to the level of community support that we have in the district, and it comes at a good time when different families are struggling to make ends meet," he said.
Hollar added that the anonymous person should serve as a shining example of the Kindness Initiative Boise schools work to impart to students. The donation will help lift a burden on parents who are already stretched thin financially.
"Outstanding lunch debt is an indication of maybe a socioeconomic status of our students and for many of our families it's not for a lack of trying, but for some of them they're meeting with financial obligations or hard times," he said.
The district has a message for the unknown donor, Hollar said.
"We thank the person or persons responsible for this donation, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts, the families do as well," he said. "You've certainly made a great Christmas for a number of individuals and certainly a number of our students."