Why free school lunch is so important
As a former educator it is not lost on me that there is a high demand for support outside of academics within a school. To be a part of the inner workings of a school provides you with an experience that not many people can fully grasp. From the outside looking in, the school day and year looks much like a rinse and repeat, but that is far from reality. Depending on where in the country you live or teach, the ecosystem of a school hangs in a delicate balance to provide the safest and most supportive environment for all students. Outside of academics, there are numerous services that help keep the ecosystem in its attempt of balance. Many students have been dealt the hand of food insecurity and that is something districts take very seriously.
Managing the nutritional needs of students is something that I have experienced first hand. Providing students free lunch is one way a school district supports the whole child. Assessing this graphic on free school lunches programs from the team at AAAStateofPlay put the overall need of our country in real perspective for me and maybe it will for you as well. I am fortunate to live in a state that does not have some of the highest needs but I have witnessed this program within my career.
The spin on this is that you can always catch the excitement on students’ faces when their favorite lunch is being served. That joy, no matter if the lunch is free or provided by their family, is electrifying. Even if the need is high in a state, that comfort and joy provided to those students in need is immeasurable.
I know that these free and even reduced meal programs have been evolving over the years and I am sure they will continue to. We have faced difficult challenges as a country to provide for those who are in the most need. It is vital that we support our future generations and give them the most support possible while they are developing their young minds.
