The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has significantly expanded the scope of support for free school meals.
In a press release on the 26th, the USDA announced that it would expand the target of ‘CEP’ (Community Eligibility Provision), a free meal support program for all students for schools and offices of education in low-income areas, to ‘schools and districts with 25% or more of the poor.’
CEP is a program that allows schools to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students in schools where many children from poor families are enrolled, without students individually applying for meal fee exemption or reduction based on family income.
Until now, schools and offices of education where children from poverty account for more than 40% of the total students were eligible for CEP, but from now on, those with at least 25% of students living in poverty can apply for federal subsidies.
USDA estimated that more than 3,000 school districts and more than 5 million students will be eligible.
“Each school and office of education will receive federal aid calculated by entering existing data into a formula, such as the number of people eligible for the Low-Income Food Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly called ‘food stamps,’” he said. “Each local government and state government will cover the shortfall.” “It has to be covered,” he explained.
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said, “By increasing access to nutritious breakfasts and lunches, reducing the number of children at risk of hunger and improving student health and learning readiness, we can further improve nutrition and well-being across the nation.” I expected that.
The USDA said, “The expansion of the standards will apply to all schools and offices of education nationwide, but priority will be given to states or districts that are currently implementing the free meal system for all students with their own budget.”
In addition to expanding free school meals, the USDA announced that starting this semester, it will increase meal subsidies per student by 50 cents for lunch and 18 cents for breakfast, considering the inflation rate.
In addition, $30 million in meal subsidies to 264 small education offices in rural areas, $30 million in meal facility support to education offices operating the free school meal system, and $11 million in support to local farms that supply meal ingredients to schools (Plans to expand spending to improve school meals, including KRW 15 billion, were also revealed.
The Associated Press said, “During the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. government temporarily provided free school meals to all students nationwide, but this ended last year. Even the food subsidy paid directly by the government to poor families has seen its relative value decline due to rising prices, leading to some “
Children are in a situation where they are hungry,” he said. However, some voices are speaking out against the indiscriminate expansion of free school meals.
The Republican Study Committee (RSC) of the Federal House of Representatives called for a complete withdrawal of the CEP policy, saying, “Meal expenses should be supported based on each student’s individual household income.”
USDA operated a CEP pilot program in three states, Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee, in 2011 and expanded it nationwide in 2014.