State budget will feed more students this school year than ever before, universal free lunches could be next

As summer is coming to a close, it is no secret that parents have plenty of expenses to worry about now that back-to-school season is fully underway.

But luckily for parents in Uniondale, school lunches are one less thing that they have to budget for. The Uniondale school district is participating in the Community Eligibility Provision, or CEP, a federal program that allows districts in high-poverty areas to provide free breakfast and lunch to all of its students.

The program aims to provide meals to every student, regardless of economic background. This helps ease the burden for students, parents and faculty by eliminating paperwork, and removing any stigma for students who already eat for free because they automatically qualify for federal programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The CEP also aims to maximize federal reimbursements, and eliminate any existing unpaid school meal debt. CEP is available to any school, group of schools, or district that has 40 percent or more students directly certified for free school meals.

Uniondale has been enrolled in this provision and receiving a 100 percent reimbursement since the 2017-18 school year, and are due to renew their enrollment in 2024. However, back in April, Gov. Kathy Hochul allocated an unprecedented additional $134 million as part of this year’s state budget to fund free school lunch and breakfast and serve healthier meals. The investment from Hochul now increases the budget for the CEP in New York State to a total of $234 million. This move aims to eliminate any existing financial barriers that prevent other qualifying schools from opting into the program and providing more food resources to more students by lowering the threshold for eligible areas.

“I promised New Yorkers we’d make our state more affordable, more livable and safer, and this budget delivers on that promise,” Governor Hochul said in a statement. She also said that the past few years have been incredibly challenging for students, and there is an urgent need to provide them with the resources they need to succeed.

According to Hochul’s office, this “transformative” budget not only invests in children’s futures, but improves public safety, transforms our mental health care system, and protects our climate.

This increase in budget does not affect Uniondale, but there are plenty of other districts nearby, like Roosevelt, which is not currently enrolled in the provision but has been flagged by the state as eligible. Roughly 60 percent of Roosevelt’s student population is currently enrolled in the free lunch and breakfast program.

Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, who represents district 22 and currently serves as the Assembly Deputy Majority Leader as well as Chair of The New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus, is a strong advocate for free student meals. She believes districts such as Roosevelt would benefit tremendously by applying for the provision.

“By having free school meals for everyone, it eliminates the stigma of free lunch that students normally deal with,” Solages said.

Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, a state representative from District 34, which represents the neighborhoods of Corona, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and Woodside in Queens, told the Herald on July 26 during a news conference in Valley Stream that this additional funding will now help feed up to 81 percent of students across New York State, and in Nassau County alone, about 10,000 additional students who didn’t previously qualify.

In order for a district to qualify for CEP, at least 40 percent of the student body within that district must qualify for free school meals, but that may change before the start of the upcoming school year as well, as The U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, has proposed lowering the eligibility threshold from 40 percent to 25 percent come September.

Another groundbreaking change that may be on the way is universal free school lunches for every student in the state. NY State Senate Bill S9144, which was introduced in May 2022 and is now in committee, would require all public school districts, charter schools and non-public schools in the state to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to the student.

“In the richest country on earth, it is unacceptable that millions of kids go hungry each day,” said State Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. “This bill would provide funding for free breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack for students who need them and slash burdensome red tape for school administrators. It would make our families and communities healthier and stronger, keep kids in school, and work to fight the stigma too often associated with meal programs.” Gillibrand also says she is pushing to expand SNAP benefits in the upcoming Farm Bill to “ensure all New Yorkers have access to nutritious foods.”

In the meantime, while that bill is going through the legislative process, Assemblywoman Solages is urging all qualifying districts who are not currently participating, including Roosevelt, to take advantage and apply for the CEP to improve student nutrition and reduce the stigma surrounding free lunch.