Healthy and Free School Meals for All
In her recent State of the State address, Governor Kathy Hochul outlined several proposals that would make New York a healthier place, including ones to shore up services for new parents and babies, prevent veteran suicide, and improve youth mental health.
The policy I’m most excited about will make healthy school meals available to every public school student in New York State. That means 2.7 million kids will have the food they need to learn well and be healthy, regardless of their family’s income and without shame and stigma. It’s a cliché to call it a game-changer, but it really is.
One of my proudest professional moments was when New York City made school lunches free for all of its 1.1 million school children. Since then, we’ve seen steady progress to expand free school meals statewide. Last year’s State budget included $145 million for free school meals, reaching more than 80% of students statewide. But as I wrote just last month, close is not complete. Governor Hochul’s proposal would, for the first time, make free school meals truly universal — and universal means everyone.
Why does it matter? Free school meals improve physical health, mental wellbeing, and academic performance. Yet food has been the one arena in public schools that segregates children by family income. When kids need textbooks, they aren’t asked to stand in a poor line. When meals are free to all, the stigma and shame associated with school lunch decreases and participation increases.
Free meals also reduce administrative burdens on schools and their staff. I remember the testimony of a school lunch director from central New York at a State budget hearing. She said, “I spent 8 hours yesterday chasing money, instead of spending the day sourcing local foods, working side by side with my staff, and collaborating with other directors and business owners to bring new and exciting menu items to our program.” Schools should focus on educating, not acting like bill collectors.
School meals that are truly universal will be a win for students’ health, a win for affordability, a win for equity, and a win for learning. The public supports it; a New York Health Foundation survey found that nearly 90% of New Yorkers support free school meals. Let’s make it happen.
