More kids eating school lunch means fewer go hungry under bill passed by the Legislature

There is such a thing as a free lunch, to the great relief of anti-hunger advocates in the state.

Advocates declared victory at the Legislature’s recent passage of House Bill 2545, which eliminates the co-pay for reduced price lunches statewide starting this fall.

The change affects more than 30,000 students statewide whose families live on the brink of poverty.

The federal threshold for reduced-price lunch is an annual income of $44,000 for a family of four.

More students eating school lunch means fewer kids going hungry, advocates claim.

“Portland Public Schools is pleased to learn that the Oregon Legislature will be paying the 40-cent reduced lunch co-pay for students,” said Gitta Grether-Sweeney, director of PPS’ Nutrition Services program. “Their contribution will help more children enjoy a delicious nutrient-rich lunch at school which will enable them to be ready to learn.”

Oregon — where one in four kids is at-risk for hunger — is the fourth state to pass such a bill.

“This is an important step forward,” says Patti Whitney-Wise, executive director at Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon. “We all want to live in an Oregon where kids’ talents are nurtured, their health is protected and they have a strong foundation for launching their dreams. Food is foundational.”

Anti-hunger advocates claim the lunch co-pay for a family with two children can add up to $17 per month, which becomes a burden for many households stretching to make ends meet.

In 2009, the Legislature eliminated the co-pay for reduced-price breakfast and participation in the breakfast program increased.

The state’s elimination of the “reduced price” meal category will cost the state $2.56 million biannually, which advocates and public health experts claim is a wise investment.

“We had heartbreaking testimony on the need for this investment in the House Education Committee,” said Rep. Margaret Doherty (D-Tigard), chief sponsor of the measure. “When students are hungry, they aren’t able to learn.”

The latest action is a continuation of the state’s campaign to tackle childhood hunger through school meals.

Fifty school districts in Oregon participated in a relatively new initiative called the Community Eligibility Provision last fall.

In these 256 lowest-income schools (serving a total of 102,643 students), the U.S. Department of Agriculture subsidizes the breakfast and lunch cost for all students, regardless of family income level.

Thanks to the program, PPS saw a 15-percent increase in school lunch participation by the end of the year, says Grether-Sweeney.

She says PPS’ 25 pilot schools will continue with the Community Eligibility Provision this fall.

Written by: Pamplin Media Group