The Benefits Reach Students, Families, and American Businesses.
5. Creates high-quality jobs 6. Lets school nutrition staff be community helpers (not debt collectors) 7. Is critical for the survival of school nutrition programs The Business Case for Equitably-Funded (Universal) School Meals First, some background for anyone who thinks our programs are already locally funded. School nutrition programs are businesses. If you think of a school district as a small city, we’re your favorite franchise “restaurant” at every major intersection (and it’s our pleasure). The same school nutrition team manages all “restaurants” operating in a single district’s buildings. The money we make through purchased meals and a la carte items (snacks) pays for our food, supplies, equipment, and labor costs. So no, taxpayers don’t fund our programs — at least not directly. State taxes fund the rest of the district, but (like a restaurant) we get our revenue from the money we earn. Traditionally, our revenue comes from two sources: what families pay for meals and federal meal reimbursements. The amounts are determined by income guidelines that classify students into three
categories: Free, Reduced, and Paid. These classifications determine the amount that families pay for meals and the amount we are reimbursed for those meals. All meals are subsidized, including Paid. Free and Reduced meals give us the highest revenue because Paid meals are reimbursed at a substantially lower rate ($.42 vs $3.73 per lunch).
of MenuLogic K12 (a business intelligence software for school nutrition programs), so I’m well acquainted with the answer. Answer: FALSE –Universal school meals absolutely assist low- income families. But they also benefit middle and upper-income families, school districts, and entire communities. In fact, one 2021 study identified the following benefits of universal school meals: • They have a protective effect on student BMI • They improve financial outcomes for school districts • They’re associated with increased household incomes The taxes you pay supporting a universal school meal program is money well-spent — they go directly to children, families, and domestic businesses. In other words, every tax dollar spent on universal school meals is a direct investment in your community. I’m going to walk you through these 7 reasons why the benefits of a universal school nutrition program ripple from individual students to families and entire communities: 1. Gives families (and voters) what they want 2. Benefits families at ALL income levels 3. Helps children focus on school, not hunger (or stigma) 4. Meets kids’ nutritional needs
Reasons Why Universal School
Enter a pandemic.
The USDA (our regulatory agency) created emergency waivers to offset the disruptions nutrition programs faced because of COVID closures and lockdowns. One of these waivers allows districts to offer meals at Free rates/ reimbursements to ALL students. The waiver came at a critical time for families impacted by COVID, and I’m grateful. It also came at a critical time for school nutrition programs because it gave us what we’ve always needed to be successful: equitably funded meals. The socioeconomic status of our students and school district no longer mattered. Because of the temporarywaiver,we don’t have to structure sales offerings based on our students’ household incomes to make ends meet. Whether we like it or not, we must put effort into where we are funded. When meals are funded
Universal school meals would mean a federal tax-funded program that makes breakfast and lunch available to all students regardless of their income. Right now, universal school meals are temporary. State and federal legislators are discussing bills that would implement these programs. With that in mind, let’s play a game of true or false: Universal school meals only help low-income families? I’m a school nutrition director, a Registered Dietitian, and founder Meals are Worth the Investment
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MenuLogic K12 Founder; Director of Nutrition Services (IN) Lindsey Hill, RD, SNS
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