Noah walked right past the entrance to the cafeteria at lunch time. There wasn’t enough food at home to pack a lunch, and he didn’t have any money to buy it. Noah qualified for free lunch, but he didn’t want to let everyone know his parents didn’t have enough money. Noah was too embarrassed and would rather go hungry. Later that same year, Noah’s state of Minnesota passed a bill to offer universal free school meals. This meant that all school children in Minnesota could get meals at school for free, regardless of how much money their parents make and without filling out an application. Finally, Noah could eat lunch without feeling stigma. 

Many schools began offering free school meals for all students during the COVID-19 pandemic, using money given by the federal government. This practice was so popular that several states decided to make it permanent, even after the COVID money ran out. Many more states are considering a universal school meals policy. However, a universal free meals program does come at a cost. Minnesota planned to spend $200 million per year on their program, but actually spent $240 million, since even more kids participated in school meals than they had planned. This money comes from taxes that must be paid by all Minnesota citizens. 

Some people support universal free school meals. They believe this policy will reduce the stigma for students receiving free meals that other students pay for. They may feel that providing food is relevant to education because students focus and learn better when they have eaten. Supporters point to reduced discipline and behavior problems in schools with universal free meals. Another aspect of universal free school meals is the decrease in administrative work from applications for free and reduced meals and for payment systems.

However, other people think schools should restrict free meals to families who definitely need them. Their primary focus is often cost. These people believe that school districts cannot afford to provide universal free school meals. They may point to already-strained school budgets and worry that something else important will be cut to cover the additional cost of meals, or else people will be required to pay more taxes. They may also feel the government should not pay for meals for families that can afford to buy their own. Some people also wonder if school kitchens will be able to keep up with more meals each day.  

What do you think about universal school meals? Is it worth it to make sure every student is fed at school and to reduce the stigma associated with free lunch only for students who qualify? Or is the cost too high for schools?