Free School Breakfast and Lunch 

By: Ava Ehrlich 

Covid-19 days are still a prevalent memory: stuck at desks six feet apart, using a Chromebook for practically everything, and artificial-smelling pieces of cloth covering our faces. Though that was a rough time for us all, there is one aspect of Covid that many would like to bring back: free breakfast and lunches. 

A recent proposal by Governor Hochul suggested adding free meals once again. Governor Hochul said, “I’m fighting to make school meals free for every student in New York, giving every young person the nourishment they need to thrive in the classroom and putting money back in families’ pockets.” As of recently, the proposal for free meals has been approved and will impact millions of students starting in the fall.

Right now, students pay either free, reduced, or paid meals, which depends on their family’s financial situation. If over 25% of the students in a school district qualify for free or reduced meals, the schools can apply for Community Eligible Provisions, which allows the government to pay for all meals. Niskayuna Central School DIstrict had about 40% of students qualify for the free or reduced meals two years ago. Therefore, as of right now, the government is paying 0.80 cents or more for every student’s meals (which is around $4). What Governor Hochul wants to do is to make all meals in New York State free.

So many students could benefit from this financial burden being lifted with Governor Hochul’s proposal. Ross Tuskey, the Director of Food and Nutrition at Niskayuna High School who supervises what students are eating, says,“Nutrition plays a vital role in not only physical health but also cognitive. Since school nutrition is already under strict guidelines within proper nutrition perimeters (sodium content, sugar content, whole grain usage, etc.) the idea of supplying students meals at no cost would benefit the districts in multiple ways,”

This long-lasting issue could finally be addressed with free lunches. Every student, no matter their financial situation, can benefit from this change. Students can live healthier and happier lifestyles if they no longer need to carry the burden of thinking about what to pack for lunch, or how much money they have in their lunch accounts. Giving students free meals will inevitably make hundreds of lives easier and better.