COLUMBIA – Missouri State Rep. Brian Seitz (R-Branson) filed a one web page invoice final week that would offer all college students with free meals.
The federal authorities offered faculties to offer college students free meals through the pandemic, however Congress ended that program in June.
“Now we have confirmed throughout that point interval that authorities can try this for college kids,” Rep. Seitz mentioned. “The time has come that we must always try this on a everlasting foundation.”
Now that this system is over, households must apply totally free and diminished meals. In response to the U.S. Division of Agriculture, households who make 130% or beneath the poverty line qualify totally free lunch.
Seitz’s invoice would increase free meals to all college students, no matter earnings.
“I believe that this is able to assist them [students] to be taught higher in the event that they’re glad bodily with meal,” he mentioned.
Christine Woody, the meals coverage supervisor with Empower Missouri, acknowledged that her group often would not work with Seitz, a conservative Republican. However she says on this case, Seitz is correct.
“We have been actually excited to see Consultant Seitz file his invoice,” Woody mentioned.
“It might be vastly helpful not solely to highschool youngsters and their households however faculty districts as nicely,” Woody mentioned. “We all know that youngsters be taught finest once they have good wholesome meals.”
Proper now Missouri faculties can enroll in a federal program that permit faculties in excessive poverty areas to offer free meals to all college students. In response to the Missouri Division of Elementary and Secondary Schooling, faculties that qualify for this system offered greater than $4 million free lunches in October.
Rep. Seitz mentioned he desires to assist households who may not qualify totally free lunch, however nonetheless battle financially.
“I see it as a equity subject,” Seitz mentioned. “Conversely we’re additionally offering incarcerated people with breakfast, lunch, and dinner and so forth. Why can we not try this for a few of the most weak in our society? And that might be our younger youngsters.”
Rep. Seitz mentioned he is not positive how a lot this system would value, however he desires to make use of a few of Missouri’s surplus cash to pay for it.
State Sen. Angela Mosley (D-Florissant) filed an analogous invoice that might require faculties to offer a free meal to any scholar who asks for one. It might additionally prohibit faculties from publicly figuring out college students who qualify totally free and diminished meals.
Legislators will return to Jefferson Metropolis on Jan. 4 of subsequent yr for the beginning of the brand new session.