The total bill came to about $10,500. Although the donation was made anonymously, the donor turned out to be Superintendent Sharon Contreras. The Guildford County Board of Education made the announced when it honored Contreras, Frank and Nancy Brenner, and one other donor who is still anonymous.
The announcement was made at a meeting where the school board made a change to its policies, which now allows students to charge a maximum of 10 meals. Before this change, only students from middle and elementary schools were allowed to charge their meals. After the meeting, Contreras said that she grew up in a family of 10 children so she understands what it is like to struggle to afford meals. She also said:
“It seemed like something so basic for me…I remember [her parents] counting change, trying to make sure that we ate.”
Students might be used to handouts like promotional Pens and Notebooks, but paying off a meal debt is a less common gesture. Contreras got the idea to make the donation after a conversation she had with a colleague about how much the district was owed because of meal debt. Contreras asked about the level of debt in all the counties. Settling the debt for the whole of Greensboro would have been too much for her, but doing it for High Point was within her means.
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