Testimony: Senate Education Finance Committee
On January 26 we joined the Minnesota Senate Education Finance Committee for a hearing on SF 123 – a bill that would provide free school meals for all Minnesota students. We welcomed a wide variety of supporters, many of whom shared their personal stories and experiences during the hearing.
Senator Heather Gustafson
“As a teacher, I’ve had countless students come into my classroom looking for food. Not just for themselves, but also for their siblings.”
“Being hungry makes learning almost impossible. There’s no worksheet or assignment, test or project, that will matter to a student who hasn’t had anything to eat. There’s not a reading program or a math strategy that will improve scores if a student doesn’t know where their next meal is coming from. “
“By providing free meals to all students, we can eliminate the stigma and create a more inclusive and equitable school environment.”
“The connection between nutrition and mental health can’t be underlined enough. When students have access to nutritious meals, they experience less anxiety, mood swings, and an improved ability to focus.”
Colleen Moriarty, Executive Director of Hunger Solutions
“It brings an equity lens to school nutrition, and it brings us in step with others who consider food a human right.”
“We don’t charge children to take the bus, we don’t charge them for a lot of things that are considered part of their school day. And this is an important part of their school day.”
Dr. Sarah Jerstad, Medical Director of Mental Health Services at Children's Hospital
“Proper nutrition is fundamental to every aspect of a child’s health and wellbeing, including mental health.”
“Food insecurity is associated with anxiety, depression, inattention, hyperactivity, and challenges with social skills. Adolescents experiencing food insecurity are more likely to experience anxiety and depression, as well as suicidal ideation and substance abuse disorders.”
“The stress of knowing that a deficit in their school meal account could add to their family’s financial burden – this is really significantly difficult for kids.”
“My colleagues and I have seen kids’ mental health reach a point of crisis. We’re continuing to work to meet the needs of kids and families…but we can’t do this work alone. The mental health support we provide to kids and families is limited if their social needs, like access to nutritious foods, are not being met.”
“A key component of ending the mental health crisis facing Minnesota kids is to invest in the foundational things needed for optimal health, reducing the need for more costly healthcare and education interventions.”
Amber Lightfeather, working parent in Duluth
“The lunch shaming is a big deal, and it did happen to my oldest child. At the time, the schools was giving cheese sandwiches and milk if you were even a week late paying for lunches. My child was given a cheese sandwich and milk, and I was sent a letter that said if I didn’t pay it by the next week they would be calling social services and turning me in for neglect. I hadn’t gotten paid yet – I couldn’t pay.”
“I make too much to qualify for many programs. This would alleviate the people like me that are in between. I wish I could qualify for help, because I just don’t have enough to stretch that money.”
“I grew up very poor, and my father was mentally ill. So we never had our paperwork done. We would have qualified for free breakfast and lunch, but he wasn’t able to do that. So we all starved during the day.”
“If they’re hungry at school, they’re not doing as well as they could be doing. I know that for a fact, because I was one of those kids.”
Mandi Jung, Middle School Teacher in St. Paul
“It has been a difficult school year. We have had an increase in challenging student behaviors, no doubt that’s related to the trauma of the last few years. But I also have to 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. It’s hard to do your best when you don’t feel your best.”
“I heard former educators speak in opposition to this bill, and I was shocked. If you’ve worked in a school, then you’ve seen the impacts of child hunger firsthand. You might have even spent your own money feeding children. I do, every day. It was shocking to me that any educator would oppose this bill. What these opposing Representatives kept saying was that parents should be responsible for feeding their children. But should is a funny thing. The word should absolves us from responsibility. It pushes the problem elsewhere. These are adult problems that have real and lasting impacts on children. It is wrong to punish children for adult problems.”
“We have a moral imperative as a society to take care of our most vulnerable community members. And sometimes that shows up as a carton of chocolate milk, a handful of baby carrots, and a grilled cheese sandwich.”
“I love my students, I believe in them, and I know you believe in them too. I am inviting you to show that by ensuring that they are fed at school. This legislation will make a difference in my students’ lives, and in the lives of students all across Minnesota.”
Darcy Stueber, Director of Nutrition Services for Mankato Public Schools & Public Policy Chair for the Minnesota School Nutrition Association
“Most families who do not qualify for free or reduced price meals are not wealthy. They are families that fundraise for their kids’ extracurricular activities, and carefully watch their family budgets that are being affected by inflation.”
“Students that regularly eat school lunch receive better nutrition than students who bring lunch from home.”
“I started working in school nutrition because I was a student on free and reduced meals. I wanted to serve the next generation healthy meals as I had received many years ago.”
Wonser Mongrue, 11th grader from White Bear Lake
“If we want to make this a more equitable time and space for children, we need to understand the realities they may be facing.”
“We need to understand the bigger perspectives of some students taking money away from groceries and gas, to fulfill a negative balance.”
“How can students learn without food? They can’t. It’s very simple.”
Senator Clare Oumou Verbeten
“Our kids just can’t learn when they’re hungry. And we need to provide this, and ensure they can just go to school and learn.”
Senator Erin Maye Quade
“We forget that we know when we’re hungry. A lot of young people don’t know when they’re hungry. They know when they’re tired, they know it doesn’t feel good. But I’ve had friends of mine who were like ‘I was hungry in school, but I didn’t realize.’ And so that’s why we see these educators sitting before us. We need them to advocate for their students.”