Testimony: House Education Policy Committee
On Wednesday, January 11 we visited the Minnesota House Education Policy Committee for a hearing on HF 5 – a bill that would provide free school meals for all Minnesota students. We were joined by a wide variety of supporters, many of whom shared their personal stories and experiences during the hearing.
Rep. Sydney Jordan
“HF5 is a bill to close opportunity gaps between white students and students of color. This is a bill to improve student mental health. And this is a bill to grow happy and healthy families across Minnesota.”
“Now is the time for HF5. Schools are no longer receiving the resources they need for meals from the federal government. Student lunch debt is racking up across the state. Families struggling with the high cost of food need these meals now.”
Colleen Moriarty, Hunger Solutions Minnesota
“Full stomachs make better learners.”
“In the past year, food shelf visits have gone from 3.6 million [2021] to almost 6 million this year [2022]. We’ve seen these visits grow and grow and grow. And it doesn’t matter what part of the state we’re talking about. We’re talking about people in great need.”
“We don’t ask children to pay for riding the bus. We don’t ask them to pay for a lot of things. A meal should be one of the things they can count on.”
“We know that students deserve a nutritious meal, and families deserve to have this burden off their back.”
Will, High School Student
“My mom gave me everything in her Cash App just to feed me at school. That kind of hurt me – she had to pick between a meal for herself and a meal for me.”
“I have to pay attention to every little thing that I grab, and know all the prices for what I can have each day. It does really separate the community in the school.”
“If my parents can’t afford my lunch at school, what type of meals are we eating at home?”
“When I was younger, I would eat one thing for the whole week. Like ramen noodles or something. I didn’t really have any nutritious food to live off of. I feel like something that’s a necessity to a human should be free for us, especially kids. Especially kids.”
“If this bill passed, it would really be a stress off of my parents and me. With me having to put in my own money into my account, and me having to ask other family members for some money to eat. It’s almost embarrassing. I don’t think a kid should ever have to feel like that.”
Amber Lightfeather, working parent in Duluth
“I have four kids at home, and one is in college. I make just enough money to not qualify for any help, which makes it a really tight budget.”
“It’s $231 a month for all four of my kids to eat at regular lunch price. It would go up to $352 a month if they would eat breakfast on that tab.”
“When the kids had free lunch during the pandemic, that was such a relief off my shoulders and they had such good food.”
“I come to tears whenever I think about it. There are so many kids that are struggling, there are so many parents. We shouldn’t be going through that. Our kids shouldn’t be going through that.”
Kara Gloe, Former Moorhead School Board Member and Licensed Mental Health Therapist
“The USDA now requires school districts to classify all delinquent debt at the end of the year as ‘bad debt’ and make a transfer from the general education fund to cover the debt in the food service fund, regardless of the account balance in the food service fund.”
“Our district is now required to basically rob money from our general education fund, that is desperately needed to educate general and special education students, to cover all the debt in the food service fund. I share this as an example of the types of impossible situations school districts are left to contend with when they are responsible for the burden of feeding children at school.”
“The research on the impacts of food insecurity and hunger on the ability of students to learn is extensive and concrete. The research covers everything from the biology of how hunger impacts concentration to evidence that negative academic and psychosocial outcomes are associated with family-level food insecurity – to how food insecurity affects students’ perception of the school climate, which in turn affects academic outcomes.”
Lori Smith, Food Service Worker in St. Cloud
“I get emotional when I talk about the kids, and being hungry. I know the kids who come through my lunch line, and I know the kids who don’t get enough to eat at home. And even though I’m not supposed to, those kiddos always get just a little bit extra from me.”
“I know that nutrition is the most important factor for student growth and academic success. Children behave and learn better when they’re well nourished.”
“Making sure that every student has access to nutritious meals regardless of their parents’ income or ability to pay would make a huge difference in their lives. It would also make a difference in our lives. It’s food service workers who are asked to enforce district meal debt policy. It’s the clerical workers who have to call the students. One of the secretaries in St. Cloud had to call a home and tell the student he couldn't walk at commencement because he owed money for school lunches. She said it was the worst part of her job.”
“Today a kindergartener came through my line and he said ‘I am more than hungry. I am hangry.’ It broke my heart.”
Mandi Jung, Middle School Teacher in St. Paul
“On the first day of school this year, I announced to my students that school lunches were no longer free. The confusion, the darting eyes, the questions. There were students who realized, in that moment, that they were not going to eat that day.”
“It has been a difficult year. We have had an increase in challenging student behaviors…I have to also think that part of it is that they're hungry.”
“It’s hard to pay attention when your stomach is growling. It’s hard to be kind to others when you're hungry. And it’s hard to do your best when you don’t feel your best.”
“If your family can’t put any money in your account, you see your family’s embarrassment and frustration and stress as they receive emails and voicemails and letters reminding them that you have a negative account balance.”
“The simplest solution is to just feed the kids. Just feed the kids.”
“I have heard every argument against universal free lunch, and they have not always been eloquent or nice. But at the end of it all, I simply have to ask – what would you rather we spend our money on?”
“I love my students so much, and I believe in them, and I know that you believe in them too. I am inviting you to show that by ensuring that they are fed at school.”