The Free School Meals Imperative

For most communities across the country, this fall brings the second year in which all students can access free meals at school, no questions asked. It’s policies like this that will keep our young people growing and thriving as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recently my social media feeds were overwhelmed with friends, colleagues, and total strangers posting about a school district in Wisconsin where leaders had—quite cruelly—chosen to opt out of this federally funded program. Their decision inspired outrage and action among the local community and across the country, and resulted in a reversal today to reinstate universal free meals.

Rather than give more airtime to the discouraging claims made by some members of their district’s leadership and school board, I want to share a few simple facts about the importance of school meals, and why we should all be doing everything in our power to make them more—not less—available.

1.?????School meals have a proven, positive effect on kids’ academic achievement.

Access to nutritious meals is vital to closing the achievement gap and ensuring the health and wellbeing of all students. Kids who eat are more likely to attend class and are more attentive and less disruptive when they do. Conversely, missing meals can impair children’s development and achievement. Hungry children have lower math scores, and are more likely to repeat a grade, come to school late, or miss school entirely.

2.?????School meals provide needed nutrition for kids in the short term and set the stage for long-term healthy eating habits.

Receiving free or reduced-price school lunches reduces poor health and obesity rates. School meal nutrition standards have led to more kids eating more fruits and vegetables and the availability of school meals can account for over half of a child’s daily calories.

3.?????The need for school meals is increasing, so their availability should be too.

According to Feeding America, 1 in 7 Minnesota kids experiences food insecurity—and nearly a third of those kids live in households above the current income eligibility threshold (185% of the Federal Poverty Level) for free school meals. This means that thousands of Minnesota kids facing hunger won’t be eligible for free school meals during next school year after the temporary expansion to universal school meals ends in spring 2022.

4.?????Together, we can make sure kids are fed and learning.

Second Harvest Heartland works with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Schools coalition to advance state-level policies that boost access to free meals, such as raising the income eligibility level for free meals participation.

The Second Harvest Heartland Child Hunger team works directly with schools, providing resources, funding and technical assistance to help them take advantage of programs like Community Eligibility Provision, which makes universal school meals a reality in high-poverty schools and districts.

Each of us have a role to play in ensuring our community kids—tomorrow’s leaders—are well fed so they can learn, grow and thrive. Let’s do all we can to set them up for a lifetime of happiness and success.