Testimony: House Education Finance Committee
On Tuesday, January 24 we visited the Minnesota House Education Finance 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
“Hunger is something too many students bring with them to their classrooms, and the system is letting kids go hungry.”
“Student lunch debt is racking up across the state. Families are struggling with the high cost of food, and they need these meals now.”
Colleen Moriarty, Executive Director of Hunger Solutions
“All children have the right to have a nutritious meal in school.”
“Everybody has a right to learn, and a right to learn on a full stomach.”
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 can impact a child’s mental health and behavioral health at all developmental stages. In school age kids, food insecurity is associated with anxiety and depression. [In adolescents] it’s also associated with increased suicidal ideation and substance abuse disorders. “
“The social stigma and stress associated with food insecurity often contributes to kids’ mental health challenges. The shame students experience when they are treated different from their peers in the school lunch line, the stress of knowing that a deficit in their school meal account could add to their family’s financial burden – this is overwhelming for kids.”
“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.”
Lori Smith, Head Cook at Kennedy Community School in St. Cloud and Trustee on the SEIU Executive Board
“‘Make sure your belly’s full,’ I always tell them. And on the weekends I make sure they go home with backpacks with food in them.”
“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.”
Jessica Ellison, Chair of the White Bear Lake School Board and parent of 4 children
“My husband lost his job as a chef three weeks into the pandemic…we tightened our belts and made do…That summer we picked up free meals from our district once a week, including expensive items like milk, fruit, and vegetables. I can’t express the relief that this was for us. Because bills keep coming for mortgage, electricity, insurance, garbage, water. So we bought less food or cheaper food or less nutritious food.”
“At the beginning of this school year, we exceeded the salary qualification for free and reduced lunch by $1000. The free school meals that were such a weight off our shoulders in 2020 and 2021 are no longer available this year.”
“It’s frankly embarrassing when you can’t afford food. Our babies should not have to be hungry at school, and our families should not have to shoulder the fear of food insecurity.”
“When there is outstanding school lunch debt, the general fund is often tapped, which can come at the cost of other district needs.”
Darcy Stueber, Director of Nutrition Services for Mankato Public Schools & Public Policy Chair for the Minnesota School Nutrition Association
“By making meals available to all students, students can breathe a sigh of relief knowing their meal balance is no longer an issue. They can simply come to school to learn, and receive nutritious meals along the way.”
“Currently students do not worry about their access to books, iPads, Chromebooks, or transportation to school. Why would we not provide a basic human need, like a meal, to our students?”
“Eating at school leads to improved academic performance, fewer behavioral incidents, and a sense of community.”
“Lunch is a time to refuel, relax, and enjoy a break from the classroom. When students are well nourished they’re able to focus on their schoolwork.”
“Students that regularly eat school meals receive better nutrition than students who bring a lunch from home. School meals are well rounded, providing lean proteins, whole grains, a variety of fruits and vegetables, and low fat milk.”
“School nutrition directors and staff do not enter child nutrition to be debt collectors, nor did we enter this line of work to create anxiety amongst kids about where their next meal might come from.”
“It is time that Minnesota steps forward as a leader in our nation and continues to serve free meals to our students.”
Crystal Fitzsimons, Food Research and Action Center
“Free school meals for all has been a game changer, supporting students and improving school nutrition finances and operations.”
“School breakfast and lunch are incredibly effective educational interventions.”
“Experiencing hunger is linked to lower math scores, repeating a grade, suspensions, and difficulty getting along with peers. Participation in shool meals is actually linked to improved academic achievement, better test scores, reduced absenteeism and tardiness, and fewer discipline referrals.”
“One of the best things a school can do is to make sure that students are not sitting in class hungry.”
“Minnesota is in a particularly good position to implement free school meals for all because of its success with medicaid direct certification. Schools are processing significantly fewer school meal applications because of it, and that has reduced administrative work for schools and has helped increase federal reimbursements. This will help support the financial viability of free school meals for all in Minnesota.”
“At a time when our country is critically examining how to end racial disparities, free school meals for all can help advance equity.”
“Free meals would help reduce racial disparities in health and education for Black, Latino, and Indigenous children who experience hunger at disproportionate rates. It is also critical for advancing racial equity and justice, as it would help ensure that Black, Latino, and Indigenous students are able to access the nutrition they need to thrive in the classroom and beyond.”
“Providing meal school meals to all students is an investment in Minnesota’s future.”
Aaliyah Demry, student at St. Cloud State University
“Because of my mother’s income, I was not eligible for free or reduced lunch. Which means, I was most times wondering where and how I would get my lunch from school.”
“Most times I remember being embarrassed, because I had to ask teachers and other staff if I could use the school pantry.”
“One of my biggest concerns now is my siblings. Now that I’m in college, I want to make sure they are not worried about where and how they will get school lunch.”
Rep. Laurie Pryor
“I have my own memories of having young kids in school and being on that line.”
“With this bill, we’re helping those kids that are already receiving the meals, removing the stigma around it.”
“We’re making sure that every kid in MN knows that meals, nutrition is part of their education.”
Rep. Samantha Sencer-Mura
“[When debriefing from a student incident] I had to start with the central question – have you eaten today? 9 times out of 10, the answer to that question would really provide the context I needed for why that student was struggling.”
“I see this investment as the foundation for everything else this committee wants to do. I’ve heard us talk about a lot of big things we want to tackle – literacy rates, graduation requirements, making sure that our young people are prepared for the workforce, thinking about school climate and how we’re creating welcoming environments for our students. But none of that can be done if young people are in our schools hungry.”
“Making sure that young people in our schools are not going hungry – that is biological dignity and that’s the foundation for all the work I think this committee needs to do.”
Rep. Maria Isa Perez-Vega
“I mentor a lot of Type 1 diabetic youth who can barely afford their insulin, meaning that they have to choose between food and insulin.”
“I want to vocalize the legacy of Philando Castille, who dedicated his life to the nutrition and the needs of all children, and didn’t allow them to go home hungry.”
“If our youth workers and our educators are going out of our own pockets to feed our students, that’s a problem. And this is one step closer to fixing that problem.”
Rep. Kristi Pursell
“My family found ourselves right on that cusp as well. There are so many other things to figure out, that’s something that can go by the wayside.”
“Not having it be another thing that parents need to worry about – that was a gift. And I would love to pay that forward for other families.”
Rep. Josiah Hill
“ [My 6 year old] indicated to me that this makes sense, that kids shouldn’t be hungry at school.”
“Having been a high school teacher for the last 24 years, we see in real time the impacts that hunger has on learning. And the work that gets done can’t be to the level of quality when anyone is hungry.”
Rep. Mary Frances Clardy
“I’ve been teaching for 27 years. I’ve seen an evolution in how they service children with lunches, and there was a time where you either didn’t get a lunch or you got a brown paper bag with a cheese sandwich in it.”
“As a teacher, many times we deposited money in an angel account to make sure those kids were accounted for and make sure lunch was normalized.”
“The beauty of this program is that oftentimes we think it’s just the urban districts that are getting this. But it is people in greater Minnesota, in all the small towns we don’t hear about often, that are also benefiting from it.”
Rep. Sydney Jordan, closing remarks
“One in four food insecure kids comes from a family that’s not eligible for free and reduced prices lunches. One in four. 25% of the kids we’re trying to feed are not eligible for the programs we have in place.”
“We've tried the surgical approach, and we’re still experiencing high volumes of kids who are not able to eat. And when kids can’t eat, they can’t learn.”
“Serving breakfast after the bell helps with chronic absenteeism, it helps with literacy, it helps with math. These are all issues that come up over and over again in this committee and other committees in the legislature.”
“One of ours students from Hopkins said that school is the only place where many students can get their needs met.”
“I go through so much outside of school that it’s hard to focus on school. I don’t have nobody else.” – Anonymous student quote
“School is all I have.” - Karma, St. Paul Area Learning Center