DJ Bracken, a resident of Kearns, has worked to address the issue of unpaid school lunch debts through his role as Executive Director of the Utah Lunch Debt Relief Foundation. According to an undated report by West Valley Utah News, Bracken noted that school lunch debt in the Granite School District had reached nearly $1 million, a situation he found intolerable. He observed that many schools in his own community held thousands of dollars in such debt. In an interview from April 2026, Bracken stated that he understood the incentive for schools to collect these funds because the money used to cover the debt is often the same money intended for teachers, field trips, and school supplies. He noted that it is not as if schools can magically summon the money.
Bracken's foundation, which he started in 2024, has worked to pay off lunch debt for more than 80 Utah schools. According to a November 09, 2026, report by Davis County News, public schools had accumulated nearly $3 million in unpaid lunch debt when the foundation began in 2024, a figure that grew to $3.6 million in 2025 and was expected to exceed $4 million for 2026. Bracken's foundation seeks to partner with businesses and community members to pay off these debts one school or district at a time.
In addition to fundraising, Bracken worked to get HB 100 passed in 2025, a law that made lunch free for approximately 40,000 Utah students and banned lunch shaming. The charter for the Utah Lunch Debt Relief Foundation states that the foundation will close once Utah’s lunch debt is gone. As of a November 09, 2026, report, Bracken has worked for more than a year to gain approval for a "Feed Utah Kids" license plate to help address the growing demand for assistance. This plate went on sale at the Utah DMV in October, coinciding with National School Lunch Week. The plate costs $53.75, with $30 of that amount going toward paying down lunch debt each year through automatic renewal.
Bracken has noted that much of the lunch debt is attributed to working families who earn just enough to be over the line for free lunch. According to the November 09, 2026, report, more than 500 Utahns had signed up for the "Feed Utah Kids" plate before it went on sale. Bracken has also stated that he can help organize fundraising events for schools if businesses contact him through his website, noting that he is often able to secure 100% matches from businesses around the state.
What this means for Kearns
For Kearns residents, the work of DJ Bracken and his foundation provides a potential way to address the financial burden of school lunch debt in local schools like Beehive Elementary. Through the "Feed Utah Kids" license plate or direct donations, community members can help ensure that school funds remain available for teachers and supplies rather than being diverted to debt collection.
