Although the financial cost is already great for school funding, being able to give free meals to all students would greatly benefit their mood and well being in class, along with removing the stress of having money to afford school meals or even qualifying for free meals.
Having free school meals can help improve and boost students’ moods during classes as they won’t be hungry and unfocused during class. An article by Megan Tagami, a reporter for Civil Beat with a degree in political science and public affairs, talks about how many schools in Hawaii may qualify for free meal programs and people such as Sarah Fukunzo, an educational assistant at Kanoelani Elementary School, said how she had one student who would be cranky if they didn’t have anything to eat; Fukunzo started to bring eggs for the kid which led to the student not being cranky during classes. Fukunzo further adds, “If the student is hungry, I’m not going to get any work out of them.” What she says suggests that if a student didn’t eat anything before a class, then they won’t be able to get work done. This can be a major hindrance for a student’s learning and wellbeing in class. If a student can’t learn because of their hunger it can affect their learning ability and knowledge, leading to lower performances on projects and tests, along with more negative interactions with other students/teachers. Even if a student can eat a small snack before class they won’t be as unfocused, and more focused on their studies in that class.
Having free school meals can also help remove financial burdens from families. Susan Shian, a reporter for The New York Times, investigates how free school meals became mainstream as Shian talked to Amber Morre, whose family lives in a school zone that doesn’t participate in free school meals, leading her to prep five lunch boxes each night for her kids. Morre describes it like a power bill as it’s not a small amount. Morre can’t even get reduced lunch as there are requirements for families to be eligible for reduced school meals. Morre’s husband’s income exceeds them by just $456 a month for reduced lunch meals. Being able to save just a few more dollars may mean a lot for families, as that is one less thing to worry about. $2-$3 may not seem much but it can add up over time. Using the prices at McKinley High School, lunch is $2.50 and breakfast is $1.10 for regular prices. If Morre’s five kids get both breakfast and lunch then they are spending close to $360 a month, and for the entire school year which is nine months. Morre would spend around $3,240 alone on school meals. If Morre is able to get free meals for all her kids, then she is able to save that $360 a month on other necessities such as medical bills, house renovations or even for college funds for her kids.
Although having free meals for all students can be beneficial, some worry about the cost of giving free meals to all students. Providing free meals for every student is a big financial expense for the government, and the state that is providing the free meals to the students. There are other things the government is worrying about such as housing, road safety, etc. There is also the concern of food quality, since school lunches at the moment aren’t the best. There was once a movement online where students posted the quality of the lunches which ranged from slimy mac and cheese, slimy milk, or a burger that looks like it’s been sitting out for days. There’s been time at McKinley High School where the lunches weren’t the best as students were served mac and cheese that looked like melted plastic and tasted like it. Yet, if the government cares about the students health and education they’ll find a way to give all students free meals; or at least give decent quality meals so students get their proper nutrition and not feel sick after eating breakfast or lunch.
Students are the future as they graduate and start to take jobs, so being able to at least give free meals to all students is one way we can help support them. No student should have to go hungry just because they aren’t able to afford a meal at school, which is why providing every student free meals is important.
