Massachusetts has joined a growing list of states that have made free school meals available to all students, regardless of their household income, in a move that advocates say will help combat child hunger and improve academic performance.
The Massachusetts Legislature on Monday approved a budget proposal that requires the state’s public schools to provide all K-12 students with free meals, making permanent a highly successful pandemic-era program. The proposal, which is expected to be signed by Governor Maura Healey, would make Massachusetts the eighth state to adopt universal free school meals, joining California, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico, Vermont, and Michigan.
“We would not be where we are today without the voices and activism of thousands of advocates and organizations, who made it clear that feeding our kids must be a statewide priority,” Erin McAleer, president and CEO of the Massachusetts anti-hunger group Project Bread, said in a statement Monday. “We are grateful to all of our partners across the state and in the Legislature who enabled this victory.”
The federal government had issued waivers that allowed school districts to give all students free meals during the coronavirus pandemic, but those waivers are set to expire this month, and Congress has not renewed them for this school year. That means many schools are back to charging certain families for meals and having others apply for free- or low-priced breakfasts and lunches if they can’t afford it.
Advocates worry about the implications of the change, which some estimate could affect 10 million children. Research suggests the universal free meal program made a sizable dent in child hunger rates, and may have even promoted academic achievement. Hunger and poor nutrition can significantly undermine learning.
“The promise of this country ought to be that no child ever goes hungry in any school,” U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), one of the most outspoken anti-hunger advocates in Congress, said in a statement. “That ends when school begins this year.”
McGovern applauded the Massachusetts Legislature for making free school meals permanent and said the move “will literally change lives, full stop.”
“No child in Massachusetts will ever have to wonder how to get through the school day on an empty stomach,” he said.
U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) echoed McGovern, saying that “Congress must follow suit and make this a reality for every child who calls America home.”
“In one of the richest nations in the world, no child should ever go hungry, and including universal meals in schools is a step in the right direction towards addressing America’s hunger crisis,” Pressley said. “I’m grateful for the Massachusetts Legislature and to the advocates and organizers who fought relentlessly to make this possible.”
In May, Pressley and McGovern joined other progressive lawmakers in introducing the Universal School Meals Program Act of 2021, a bill that would offer free breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack to all students in preschool through high school.
“The pandemic has shown us that universal school meals work,” Crystal FitzSimons, director of school programs at the Food Research & Action Center, said in a statement. “They reduce hunger, support child health and well-being, help families make ends meet, reduce administrative burdens for schools and families alike, decrease stigma for children who receive free or reduced-price school meals, and support local economies.”
The National Conference of State Legislatures reported last summer that 20 states have considered or passed universal free school meals. When the national meal waivers end, these states will pay for all student meals, regardless of income.
Americans are divided on whether all students should eat for free: In a recent YouGov poll, 52% of respondents supported universal free school lunch. Roughly a third, on the other hand, supported charging families based on their income.
Relevant articles:
– ‘Will Literally Change Lives’: Massachusetts Legislature Approves Universal Free School Meals, Common Dreams, August 1, 2023
– Is school lunch free in the US? What to know about the end to universal meals, USA Today, September 1, 2022
– H.R.3115 – 117th Congress (2021-2022): Universal School Meals Program Act of 2021, Congress.gov
– Universal Free School Lunches Will End Soon After Cuts To Pandemic-Era Spending, Forbes, July 22, 2022