New program to ease access to school food

Families who receive Medicaid will automatically be certified for free or reduced-priced meals.

Starting next school year, Ohio is one of 14 states selected to participate in a new program that will increase student access to meals and ease financial strain for some families.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “Direct Certification with Medicaid Demonstration Project” will allow households that receive Medicaid to automatically qualify for free or reduced-price school meals starting the 202324 school year, according to the Ohio Department of Education.

The program uses existing data to certify children for free or reduced-price meals without an additional application, which will help more students receive the benefit.

“There’s a critical connection between meeting a student’s basic needs and their success in the classroom,” said Interim Superintendent of Public Instruction Stephanie Siddens. “This program will remove barriers for families and allow more of our most vulnerable students to eat healthy meals at school so they can focus on learning.”

Officials at two Clark County schools think this program is a good idea and can help students.

Clark-shawnee Local School District has 804 students who receive free or reduced-price meals, but Superintendent Brian Kuhn said he anticipates this program would increase the amount of students eligible for that benefit.

“I believe this is an excellent idea, as a direct certification of school meal benefits removes a potential barrier for families to access this needed resource,” he said.

“Research and our own observations show the positive impacts that a healthy breakfast and lunch have on student performance

and engagement in the classroom.”

In the Northeastern Local School District, 861 students qualify for free or reducedprice meals. Superintendent John Kronour said they are

“always interested” in programs that help close the hunger gap and support the needs of all students.

“As a school district, we understand that hunger is a serious problem that affects our students’ physical and mental well-being,” he said. “Access to healthy and nutritious food is a fundamental right for every child, and we are grateful for programs that uplift our students who may be facing food insecurity.”

Although this new program in Ohio will help some local schools, others already participate in a program that provides free meals to all students.

The Springfield City and

Tecumseh Local school districts participate in the Community Eligibility Program, which offers all students no-cost breakfast and lunch regardless of the family income.

To qualify for this program, a district must have at least 60% or more of their students qualify for direct services from the state. Once a district qualifies, students are eligible for this program for the next four school years.

The program began in 2012 with seven states, now expanding to 39 this coming school year. As of October 2022, ODE estimated that 677,688 children qualify for free or reduced-price meals, which the state had also been directly certifying students for if their household received SNAP benefits or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.