The Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Gear Store has been updated with winter merchandise, offering a variety of MCPS-branded clothing and accessories for the whole family. The collection includes sweatshirts, pullovers, fleece joggers, pom beanies, and more, with 20% of each purchase going toward reducing student meal debt across the district.
As of April 2026, total student meal debt across MCPS was approaching $4 million. The district has faced rising food and labor costs, which increased by approximately $19 million since 2015, along with the expiration of pandemic-era federal funding. Despite the growing debt, MCPS maintains a policy that no student will be denied a meal because of a negative account balance. Maryland also covers the cost of reduced-price meals, allowing qualifying families to receive them at no charge.
Several fundraising efforts have been launched to address the issue. In December 2025, DARCARS Automotive Group and DARCARS Toyota donated $230,000 to the MCPS Educational Foundation’s Dine with Dignity Program, eliminating two years of unpaid meal balances for families qualifying for the Free and Reduced-price Meals System (FARMs).
In April 2026, MCPS hosted its first-ever 5K at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg, with a goal of raising $80,000 toward reducing student meal debt. The event was part of the Dine with Dignity campaign’s larger $500,000 fundraising goal.
