​All children deserve their daily bread no matter their zip code, race, gender, age, or socio-economic status. Hunger in Ohio stands at an unacceptably high rate. Approximately one in six, and as many as one in four in some counties, children live in a household that faces hunger. This amounts to over 413,000 hungry children throughout Ohio.i Healthy school meals for all Ohio students leads to stronger healthier children, less administrative burden on nutrition providers, and a stronger and more economically competitive state.

Full Bellies Lead to Full Minds

School meals are just as influential to a students’ academic success as textbooks. School meals create better educational outcomes, including improved academic attendance, and increased graduation rates.ii

Reduces School Administrative Work

Schools should focus on caring for kids and not paperwork or collecting money from children. Healthy School Meals for All reduces the administrative work required to operate School Nutrition Programs, improving school nutrition finances. Healthy School Meals for All increases student participation in school breakfast and lunch allowing school nutrition finances to benefit from economies of scale. Universal meals also reduce the administrative task and student barriers caused by student lunch debt.

Reduces Stigma

In early 2019, over 27 million children were certified for free school meals and more than 2.6 million children were certified for reduced-price school meals. Yet, it is estimated that as high as 1 in 3 eligible students did not participate,ii because parents and students alike avoid stigma and struggle navigating complicated bureaucracy Healthy School Meals for All reduces the stigma associated with participating in school meals and allows for all students to participate.

We ask for your support for Hunger Free Schools and Healthy School Meals for All because all children deserve equal opportunities to excel. We see firsthand the impact of poverty and food insecurity in Ohio. We also know how life-changing free school meals for all could be for students, their families, schools, and communities. Like textbooks and transportation, school meals are a critical part of a child’s education and future success. We must take action to ensure all Ohio schools are hunger-free.

References

i Gundersen, C., Strayer, M., Dewey, A., Hake, M., & Engelhard E (2022). Map the Meal Gap 2022: An Analysis of County and Congressional District Food Insecurity and County Food Cost in the United States in 2020. Feeding America. Food insecurity refers to the USDA’s measure of lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods. Food insecure children are defined as children living in households experiencing food insecurity.

ii Brown, A., & Bilski, J. (2017). Fighting the stigma of free lunch: Why universal free school lunch is good for students, schools, and families. Available at: https://www.fordfoundation.org/just-matters/justmatters/posts/fighting-the-stigma-of-free-lunch-why-universal-free-school-lunch-is-good-forstudents-schools-andfamilies/.