Why School Meals Should be Funded.

By: Michele and Yesenia

Across the country, in more than 100,000 schools, an army of cooks prepares over 30 million school lunches each day (USAFacts, 2023). Just a few hours later, a line of hungry students will eagerly await, to receive, what could be their only meal of the day. For many families, this is not just a meal; it is a lifeline. The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) aims to provide nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to as many students as possible, ensuring no student goes hungry during the school day. Funding school lunches is an essential investment that benefits the health and nutrition of children in America, targeting food insecurity, and overall well-being. However, the funding for these certain programs remains a critical issue that not only impacts the health of students but their academic performances, and future opportunities.

Despite the program’s efforts, millions of students and their families continue to face food insecurity. While the program is free to most who participate, around a third of students still have to pay the reduced or full price for school meals. As a result, among the billions in debt owed across the United States, debt from unpaid school meal fees is growing—and fast.

The average national school meal debt per child is 537 dollars a year (Hanson, 2024). Low income families often bear the brunt of this debt, especially those with multiple children. As a result of the cost of school meals, 87 percent of school districts reported an increasing number of students who were unable to afford school meals (Hanson, 2024). This is particularly harmful as having access to healthy meals has massive benefits for children. For example, rates of childhood obesity are drastically decreased by free school meal programs. In California, a study that compared the prevalence of obesity in 3,531 low-income public schools demonstrated that there was a 2.4 percent decrease in the overall obesity rate in schools that participated in universal free meals programs (Lock, 2024). The mental health of students has also been found to improve with adequate access to nutritional meals. Food insecurity related anxiety and psychological distress reduced in children after having access to free meals (Lee & Singh, 2022).

With free school lunch for all, student academic performance has been shown to increase. In a study by Celeste Schultz and Janet Thorlton, test scores increased by nearly 40 percent and end of year academic test scores averaged four percentile points higher compared to students who lack proper nutrients. Rates of student attendance were also higher after the program was implemented, suggesting that proper nutrition plays a direct role in both academic engagement and achievement.

Socially, free school meal programs reduce the stigma associated with getting school meals. Multiple districts actually saw increased student participation in school meals programs after they were made free, benefiting even those who might have previously felt reluctant to participate (Lock 2024). This approach fosters a more inclusive school environment, where students are not singled out based on their financial status. 

The benefits of free school meals are numerous. Adequate nutrition helps children thrive in multiple aspects of their life, setting them up for a better future, regardless of their family’s economic status. Given the growing debt that parents face after the expiration of pandemic era meal programs, much more should be done to fund future programs.

References 

Hanson, Melanie. (2024, November 23). “School Lunch Debt Statistics” EducationData.org,  https://educationdata.org/school-lunch-debt

Lee H, Singh GK. Food Insecurity–Related Interventions and Mental Health Among US Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic, April 2020 through August 2021. Public Health Reports®. 2022;137(6):1187-1197. doi:10.1177/00333549221110294

Lock, K. (2024, May 3). Universal Free School Meals: A key ingredient in improving childhood health outcomes . Health Systems and Population Health. https://hspop.uw.edu/universal-free-school-meals-improve-health-outcomes/#:~:text=Their%20methods%20showed%20an%20overall,in%20health%2C%E2%80%9D%20said%20Localio. 

Schultz, C., & Thorlton, J. (2019). Access to Fresh Fruits and Vegetables in School Lunches: A Policy Analysis. Journal of School Nursing, 35(4), 248–255. https://doi-org.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/10.1177/1059840518762517

Stahacz, C., Alwan, N. A., Taylor, E., Smith, D., & Ziauddeen, N. (2024). The impact of food aid interventions on food insecurity, diet quality and mental health in households with children in high-income countries: a systematic review. Public Health Nutrition, 27(1), e195-. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980024001769
USAFacts. (2023, October 26). How many US children receive a free or reduced-price school Lunch? https://usafacts.org/articles/how-many-us-children-receive-a-free-or-reduced-price-school-lunch/#:~:text=Home%20%2F%20Education%20%2F%20Articles%20%2F%20How,School%20Lunch%20Program%20.