Free meals for students program worth keeping

As the pandemic bulldozed the livelihoods of many Americans, lawmakers took steps to shore up troubled businesses and help struggling families.

There was a moratorium on evictions should renters be unable to keep up payments; restaurants could add cocktails-togo to their takeout and delivery menus; Americans were allowed to vote by mail en masse, etc. These provisions have faced pushback, especially as the coronavirus is loosening its stranglehold on the country.

But one program in particular needs to be on the fast-track for extension when it expires at the end of next month: providing free meals for schoolchildren.

Over the past year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture extended waivers to give free meals to students. The program usually provides free meals to kids during the summer, but the department ramped it up when schools started closing under pandemic lockdown orders. The USDA kept extending the program throughout the year when expiration dates neared.

It was a lifeline for many families, as food insecurity soared.

The flexibility waivers are set to expire again on Aug. 31 — and the program is still vital.

While “now hiring” signs are common, not every industry has bounced back. And those who have managed to secure employment still find themselves at lowpaying jobs, or reliant on tips. The pandemic left many deep in debt, as unpaid rent piled up, and bills had to go unpaid.

What’s worse, thanks to drought, inflation, fuel costs and supply chain problems, food prices are rising steadily.

As NBC News reported, prepandemic, the national average for a pound of bacon in January 2020 was $4.72. By March of this year, the price had soared to $5.11, according to exclusive supermarket point of sale data from NielsenIQ. Ground beef is up to $5.26 a pound, from $5.02. Bread is up to $2.66 a loaf, from $2.44.

In Boston, we’re paying nearly a dollar more per pound of bacon.

For parents trying to feed their children, it’s a recipe for disaster.

Fortunately, anti-hunger advocates such as Project Bread joined forces to launch the Feed Kids Coalition, a state-level legislative push in support of School Meals for All for Massachusetts students.

Two bills now on Beacon Hill calling for universal school meals, would “make breakfast and lunch available at no charge to each attending student. Schools shall maximize access to federal funds for the cost of school breakfast and lunch programs …

“To the extent that costs are not reimbursed through federal funds the cost of making available school lunches and breakfasts shall be borne by the department of elementary and secondary education.”

According to Project Bread, this legislation would allow every student who wants or needs a school breakfast or lunch to receive it — at no cost to their family and with no requirement to sign up or provide income or other information.

There are many issues on which lawmakers disagree, but providing food for children should not be one of them. Yes, this will be costly, but as we’ve seen, Washington has opened the fiscal floodgates with abandon. If we can spend $5 million a year to fight brown tree snakes in Guam, we can find the funds to provide nutritious meals to students.

If passed, Massachusetts would become the third state, behind Maine and California, to pass such legislation.

This should be an easy “aye.”