Dear Madison Metropolitan School District School Board Members and Administrators,

I believe that every student should be guaranteed access to free and healthy breakfast and lunch in the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD).
Food insecurity is at record highs while families struggle to make ends meet under capitalism and cost of living increases. Currently, many families are subjected to debt collection for unpaid school lunch fees and collectively MMSD families owe over $214,000 (and rising) in unpaid lunch debt. Any barrier to consistent, free and healthy school meals for Madison’s students is unacceptable.

Charging families for school lunch causes numerous harms that can be solved by funding free school lunch for all. The cost of lunch is an immediate barrier to students who cannot afford it and is currently causing students to skip lunch. The funding structure creates stigma for students on free or reduced lunch or who have high school meal debt. The structure also forces the Food and Nutrition Department to act as debt collectors which adds administrative costs and harms relationships with MMSD families. School meal debt impacts every student as "Uncollectible" debt eventually gets paid for from the Food and Nutrition Budget. These administrative and debt settlement costs are funding that should be spent on healthy meals for our students!

Switching to universal free school lunches is an equity-based, moral demand of our school district that has numerous benefits. With funding from MMSD to cover school lunch costs, the Food and Nutrition Department can eliminate debt collection costs and transition their full focus to providing healthier school meals for kids. For example, the new scratch cooking equipment at Nuestro Mundo only cost $50,000 - just a portion of debt collections and settlement costs. School districts that convert to free school meals have seen an over 30% increase in meals eaten! Healthier and universal access to meals provides meaningful financial and nutritional support to students and families. Better nutrition also leads to improved educational outcomes and better student behavior. The benefits far outweigh the costs. If passed Madison will join districts across the country in providing free meals to their K-12 public school students!

I join my community in calling on the MMSD School Board and Administration to:

(1) Close the School Lunch Funding Gap in the 2024-2025 budget - by providing $2 million in funding to the Food and Nutrition Department to cover school lunch costs for families, ensuring free school meals for all!

(2) Convert to a Universal School Meal Funding system - Through a combination of continuing annual general education fund support and identifying additional Community Eligibility Provision schools (applications due June 30 each school year)!

(3) Invest in staff and equipment to absorb a potential 30% increase in food participation - In order for implementation to be a success, MMSD must also invest, especially if the referendum passes in November, to meet an increased demand from students for school meals!