A COVID-era program for universal free school lunches was dropped after Republicans balked at the cost. Now families are facing food bills and the squeeze of inflation — and some kids will suffer. 'Regardless of income, there are children who are hungry.'
Students eat lunch at Albert D. Lawton Intermediate School in Essex Junction, Vt., on June 9. The pandemic-era federal aid that made school meals available for free to all public school students — regardless of family income levels — is ending, raising fears about the effects in the upcoming school year for families already struggling with rising food and fuel costs.Students eat lunch at Albert D. Lawton Intermediate School in Essex Junction, Vt., on June 9.
"The biggest challenge is going to be on the children," said Christy Smith, supervisor of the Food and Nutrition Services at the Boise School District."Regardless of income, there are children who are hungry because children face obstacles to accessing nourishing food at home and those are the kids that are going to suffer the most."
Shannon McCarthy Beasley, West Ada's school nutrition supervisor, is on a mission to get as many kids as possible to buy the schools' hot, fresh and, most importantly she says, nutritious, meals. The challenges to pivot back to a pre-pandemic system are felt across the country as schools work to reach all parents, hire additional staff members to collect meal money in lunch lines and prepare to return to tracking the finances of each child.
In order to qualify, families must meet income requirements that are the same across the country. For thea family of four must make less than $51,338 to qualify for reduced-price meals and $36,075 to qualify for free meals. Sarah Kremmerling is a mother of two in Boulder, Colo., and her family has qualified for free lunches on and off over the years. For both kids, her monthly bill could total upwards of $200 if they were to eat at school every day.
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