Lee May’s church donates $5,000 more toward outstanding DeKalb Schools lunch tabs

The Cherokee County School District is seeing partners for a summer program that provides breakfasts and lunches to hundreds of children a day. AJC FILE

The Cherokee County School District is seeing partners for a summer program that provides breakfasts and lunches to hundreds of children a day. AJC FILE

Pastor Lee May completed another step in his quest to pay off school lunch debts for DeKalb County’s youngest residents.

The DeKalb County Board of Education on Monday accepted a $5,000 donation from May’s Transforming Faith Church, toward outstanding lunch balances at eight DeKalb schools. Balances accrue when students don’t pay for their lunch, or obtain items not included in their daily free-lunch allotment.

May, the former DeKalb County Commissioner and longtime interim DeKalb CEO, issued a challenge to the community at large in December after paying school lunch balances at four schools, hoping to obliterate a $26,000 balance at the district's elementary schools.

School District officials said about 70 percent of the district’s 102,000 students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.