If the pandemic taught us anything, it's that the US *can* do many things for those in need... it just chooses NOT to do them.

We CAN feed all the kids that not only go to a particular school but also who live in that area... but we choose not to.

Just like we CAN pay foster parents to house and care for a child who was removed from the birth mother for not being able to provide a suitable house for said child.

The pandemic hit and the telecom companies couldn't rush quickly enough to pass out free hotspots and internet to those in low-income and poor communities who had a lack of resources before. There was nothing preventing them from doing that pre-pandemic except their own greed and the lack of a good PR opportunity.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t there an income level for a free lunch?

Yes, it’s been that way for ages. But everyone (all school age kids), regardless of income, got free lunch during the pandemic.

When I taught, some kids that could’ve qualified for FRL didn’t take advantage of the program. Sometimes it was language but often it was pride. So the kids just wouldn’t eat. It was sad. I was so glad when the free lunch for all program started.

This was me growing up. My parents wouldn't accept the free lunch, which at the time came with a whole different colored ticket so that everyone was aware who had free lunch. Instead my mom packed me a lunch everyday, which was fine, but I would have loved some of that cafeteria pizza like my friends.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why was the free lunch program started? Was it due to the pandemic? If you didn’t lose a job/income during the pandemic, why were you given free lunch?

There has been a push to make it free all the time outside of the pandemic. Why do rich people "need" lunch? Well the more barriers you put in place for the poor people, the less the poor kids actually GET to eat at school. There is solid research that when everyone is treated the same about school food (no paperwork, no special program etc) the needy kids get more food. Hungry kids don't learn well.

So one way to look at it is "why do rich people need free lunch?" and the answer is "it removes free lunch stigma and GREATLY help the kids who can't afford it".

I am furious at Biden for not being able to keep this. And the child tax credit. Poor kids just continue to get dumped on.

Not sure why you're furious at Biden when it's Republicans who have blocked this. In any case, the free lunch program - and breakfast - is essential and always left out a significant number of kids whose parents were not quite poor enough for it, or who didn't know how to apply for it. It isn't really that hard to get, but there is some red tape involved. But I think the worst part is the horrible quality of the "lunches," which is inexcusable and not at all related to the low price.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just send your kids to the schools where everyone gets free lunch.

And how does one go about finding these schools around the nation?

Look up the school in Niche or similar. It will tell you the FARMS rate when available.

Anonymous wrote:Just send your kids to the schools where everyone gets free lunch.

And how does one go about finding these schools around the nation?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine goes to one of CEP schools in APS so they will still get free lunch next year.

What is this? Like all kids at some schools will still get free lunch?

Low income school district where everyone qualifies for FARMS.

Not everyone. Our school’s FARM rate is a little over 50% and we’ll get free lunch next year.

Anonymous wrote:What did the kids eat at school? Were there vegetables and meat?

When Covid started in early 2020, FCPS offered free lunches at school bus stations. We went to pick up one - There was an apple, great, and a muffin and chocolate milk which were sugar. We never took advantage of the program after that meal.

We tried it once when a neighbor gave us one of their extras. It was gross-rotten fruit, sad muffin and warm milk. Never again. No wonder the school was passing them out in multiples to anyone who would take them. APS.

Anonymous wrote:Blame congress for not doing anything about this. They had the opportunity and they chose not to renew the free lunch program. It's pretty disgusting, IMO.

+1

What did the kids eat at school? Were there vegetables and meat?

When Covid started in early 2020, FCPS offered free lunches at school bus stations. We went to pick up one - There was an apple, great, and a muffin and chocolate milk which were sugar. We never took advantage of the program after that meal.

My siblings and I ate cereal for breakfast and packed our own lunches because we couldn’t afford to buy it every day. PB&J or meat&cheese with juice, cookieand a piece of fruit. That’s what people used to do. Now we expect the government to feed our kids when we can afford to do it ourselves? I understand providing lunch to the poor kids but the rest of you should be ashamed to whine about not getting free meals.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle/UM Class always gets screwed.

I would actually prefer there to be a focus on healthy school breakfast/lunch options. I would pay more if they could offer some healthy whole food or plant based options.

I agree about healthy breakfasts. My 10 yo rarely eats the school breakfast. Where we live, it's often cereal, honey buns, pop tarts. He likes the sausage biscuit they have every other week. It'd be nice and convenient if they actually offered good nutritious breakfasts.

But I definitely don't feel like we're getting screwed.
Low income families will still get free lunches. You and op can figure out how to lower your lunch bill by packing lunch if you think it's necessary.

The problem is that they are serving approximately 30 million students daily. They have an allocation of about $3.50 per child to serve breakfast and lunch to all who wish to partake. To help keep the costs down, they use food from various food programs that the USDA has, many of which are purchased for other subsidy programs. If school systems want to use the USDA program, then they use what USDA provides. If they don't, then they need to have someone in the school system who is responsible for sourcing the food, arranging for the preparation of the food for the right number of meals at the right cost. It's very hard (not impossible, just very hard) to source the volume that you need, consistently, and under budget.

While it would be nicer for those of us who can choose to send lunch or not to have healthier options, the key is that we need to ensure that those who are most likely not to have breakfast or lunch provided at home, actually have a meal to eat.

The currently elected Senators and Congressman have been lobbying to decrease the amount budgeted (currently between $10-11B) which would then decrease the amount per child allocated to provide 2 meals. That definitely takes healthier meal options off the table.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just send your kids to the schools where everyone gets free lunch.

New poster. I do this. It’s great, and our meals will still be free next year. Bur according to most people on this site I am sacrificing the quality of my children’s education by surrounding them with poor, nonwhite children. And my children will never get any attention in the classroom (not true). Those posters want to have their lunch (or not) and eat it too.

So should lunch be free to all kids at Every school (and parents can keep their snowflakes at their snowflake school?). Or should meals just be free for all kids at those schools with higher farms rates?

DP. I think it should be free to all. Allows school food programs to focus on providing nutritious meals instead of how to enforce who gets free or reduced lunch. Allows for economies of scale to improve quality. Increases the number of kids who need food but don't get it (due to being on the cusp or parents not applying for whatever reasons). Increases equity by reducing stigma.

I loved the my kids got fee lunch this year and we didn't have to pack one every day. Also worked out for my MS student as they were not allowed to have lockers is year due to covid so he didn't have room in his back to bring a lunch.

Just want to say that a lot of middle class and upper middle class kids don’t get lunch or breakfast from home. I dated a guy throughout hs and college. His mom and sisters didn’t eat (basically anorexic). They were pretty wealthy, about 300k which was more money then. There wasn’t ever any food in the house to pack for lunch or eat and he never got money to buy food. Once they left him alone and went on a weekend trip when we were 16 and his pantry and fridge were empty. He begged me to pick him up and take him to my house for food.

Similarly my parents wouldn’t give me school lunch money and if I forgot my lunch or there wasn’t lunch stuff to pack, I went hungry.

I wasn’t thrilled with the quality of the free lunches and breakfasts this past year. I was shocked that my 5 year old got a honey bun for breakfast. Or pizzas for lunch. We packed a lunch for her but she wouldn’t refuse the honey bun.

Anonymous wrote:If you're upset tell Congress. Biden signed a spending bill extending the lunch program for another year in March and Republicans refused it. It's going to hurt a lot of low income people.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-06-17/congress-shouldn-t-take-away-us-students-free-lunch

Elections have consequences