What’s on the table for school lunch?

Food insecurity is a prevalent issue in New Jersey. According to the state department of health, 1 in 12 residents and 1 in 10 children in New Jersey live in homes “without consistent access to adequate food for everyone to live healthy, active lives.” This means children who don’t have access to food at home need to be able to get the nutrients they need through school meals.  

Due to the pandemic, all students qualified for free lunch aid through a waiver. However, school meals will no longer be free for all students, and now many students are being charged for meals once more. The waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) expired at the start of the 2022-2023 school year, which means school meal fees are back for students who are not Free or Reduced-price eligible. Some schools have even gone as far as to charge for cutlery in addition to regular meal fees. 

For UACHS, traditional meal payments are back for this school year. That means students will pay $1.75 for breakfast and $4.00 for lunch. Children whose household receives SNAP, TANF, FDPIR benefits or are experiencing homelessness, children in foster care, runaway youth, or children of migrant workers are automatically eligible for free meals. According to our school principle Erie Lugo, only about 69% of students receive free or reduced meals at UACHS.

There is a critical need for all students to have access to food in schools. As the school year progresses, the demand for meals goes up because of inflation and the general need for meal assistance. In order to provide relief to families in New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy passed a bill called Working-Class Families’ Anti-Hunger Act that increases eligibility for free school meals. This law ensures that about 25,000 more New Jersey children are fed and healthy. 

According to Hunger Free NJ, “Under this bill, the income eligibility level for free school meals will be adjusted up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, meaning the children of a family of four making an annual income of up to $55,500 would now be eligible for free breakfast and lunch at school.” However, this law doesn’t go into effect until the next school year, starting in September 2023.

While the Working-Class Families’ Anti-Hunger Act is a step in the right direction, advocates are still fighting for expanded access to meals for students in these trying times.