Oregon
Breakfast, lunch will be free to all students at many more Oregon schools this year
About 70% of Oregon schools will offer free breakfasts and lunches to all students during the upcoming school year, up from around 55% a year ago, the state Department of Education said Monday.
Their ranks now include almost every school in the metro area, including all in Portland Public Schools, the state’s largest district, and the Beaverton School District, its third largest, both of which offered free meals only in higher need schools last year.
Universal school meals are having a national moment, after briefly being on the menu coast-to-coast for all students during the pandemic’s immediate aftermath. The federal government discontinued that effort in October, 2022.
Most recently, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, soon to be the Democrats’ formal nominee for vice president, went viral after being inundated with hugs from children when he signed a bill to make school breakfast and lunch free for all in 2023.
The topic isn’t without controversy though. Only eight states, all of them led by Democrats, have passed legislation guaranteeing free school meals regardless of income. Republican governors and legislators have pushed back, arguing that the program wastes money giving free meals to children from families who can afford to buy school food or pack a lunch from home.
Anti-hunger advocates have pointed to studies showing that making meals at school free for all students can reduce the stigma associated with getting them and that feeding all students translates to better behavioral and academic outcomes.
In Oregon, a bill that would have funded free school meals statewide died in the 2023 legislative session. But advocates are planning to renew that request in the 2025 session, said David Wieland, a policy advocate for Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon. It would cost less this time, Wieland said, because of changes in federal reimbursement policies that helped fuel this year’s expansion in Oregon.
The proposed bill is still taking shape, but advocates envision grants to help districts for whom it is a logistical struggle to serve meals — for example, to purchase more scratch cooking equipment, Wieland said. There are also ongoing conversations about how to ensure that students have time to eat cafeteria meals and meal choices appeal to their palates to cut down on waste, he said.
Last October, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that if at least 25% of students in schools and districts were enrolled in government assistance programs like food stamps or Head Start or were homeless, migrants or in foster care, the entire school or district could qualify for free meals and get reimbursed for up to 90% of the cost of providing them. Previously, the threshold had been set at 40%. Oregon lawmakers pitched in an extra $17 million to help schools defray the extra costs.
Another big factor that aided the expansion, said Matt Newell-Ching, a policy manager for the Oregon Food Bank: a federal pilot program that has allowed all Medicaid-eligible Oregon children to be automatically registered for free school lunches, taking the paperwork onus off of their parents.
In schools that aren’t offering universal free school meals this year, a family of four needs to make under $90,000 annually to qualify for their students for free lunches. Every school district sets its own prices for lunch, and costs can vary widely. There are no free meals planned in ???
In addition to Portland and Beaverton, free meals will also be offered in North Clackamas, Tigard-Tualatin and Hillsboro.
“Everyone’s food budgets are high right now, and this helps all families,” Newell-Ching said. “Instead of putting in means tests about who needs it, this is a recognition that food costs are high for everyone.”
— Julia Silverman covers education for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach her via email at jsilverman@oregonian.com or find her on X.com at @jrlsilverman.
Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks have made a habit of stealing headlines during the Early Signing Period, whether for top-ranked signing classes or big-time commitment flips.
Oregon is expecting to make more headlines this week as well, looking to sign a fourth straight top-10 ranked class, and potentially the third top-five ranked class in a row.
Going into the early signing period, the Ducks have 19 verbal commitments who they are looking to turn into official signings and a couple of prospects who they are trying to flip to come to Oregon on top of that.
So what is the latest news, and who has signed for the Ducks so far? Here’s an updated look at the latest happenings in Eugene:
This article will be updated throughout the day as more players announce their signing.
Xavier Lherisse— Eau Gallie (Florida)
247Sports Rating: 4-star (90)
National Ranking: No. 384
Position Ranking: No. 33
Tradarian Ball — Texas High (Texas)
247Sports Rating: 4-star (96)
National Ranking: No. 54
Position Ranking: No. 9
Gatlin Bair — Burley High (Idaho)
247Sports Rating: 5-star (98)
National Ranking: No. 27
Position Ranking: No. 6
(Bair was originally a member of the 2024 class, but after taking a two-year LDS mission, is re-signing with the Ducks)
Braylon Hodge — Cherry Creek (Colorado)
247Sports Rating: 4-star (92)
National Ranking: No. 212
Position Ranking: No. 12
Hudson Lewis — Timberline (Idaho)
247Sports Rating: 3-star (86)
National Ranking: No. 1310
Position Ranking: No. 190
Azel Banag — A.C. Flora (South Carolina)
247Sports Rating: 3-star (87)
National Ranking: No. 852
Position Ranking: No. 69
Tristan Phillips — Ventura (Calif.)
247Sports Rating: 4-star (91)
National Ranking: No. 362
Position Ranking: No. 24
Immanuel Iheanacho — Georgetown Prep (North Bethesda, MD)
247Sports Rating: 5-star (98)
National Ranking: No. 25
Position Ranking: No. 2
Tony Cumberland — Willamette (Eugene, OR)
247Sports Rating: 4-star (95)
National Ranking: No. 88
Position Ranking: No. 11
Trevon Watson — College of San Mateo (California)
247Sports Rating: 3-star (84)
National Ranking: No. 107 (JUCO)
Position Ranking: No. 13 (JUCO)
Prince Tavizon — Lincoln (San Diego)
247Sports Rating: 4-star (90)
National Ranking: No. 315
Position Ranking: No. 31
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EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon Community Credit Union (OCCU) has decided to deactivate its Flock cameras and cancel their contract.
This comes in response to numerous complaints from the community over the cameras’ use.
OCCU cancels Flock contract
In a statement, the credit union says, quote:
OCCU has decided to discontinue use of license plate reader cameras at all our facilities.
We are in the process of disabling the cameras and removing the equipment.
Our intent with using these cameras was solely to help prevent crimes like robbery and fraud and to keep our members and employees safe.
We take that responsibility very seriously, but we also understand that this technology has raised a lot of questions and concerns.
Flock cameras have been a major topic of discussion in Eugene and Springfield, following those city’s police departments signing contracts with Flock.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (1)
Those cameras have been deactivated while the cities decide what to do with them.
USC men’s basketball enters Tuesday with momentum after winning the Southwest Maui Invitational, capped by an 88-75 win over Arizona State behind Trojans guard Chad Baker-Mazara’s 23 points. The Trojans climbed back into the AP Top 25 for the first time since November 2023 and are off to their best start since opening 113-0 in 2021-22.
When: Tuesday, December 2, at 7:00 p.m. PT
Where: Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon
TV Broadcast: FS1
Radio: Oregon Sports Network
The USC Trojans are 1.5-point favorites on FanDuel Sportsbook against the Oregon Ducks. The moneylin for USC is -126, and the point total is set at 155.5.
Junior guard Rodney Rice, the Trojans’ leading scorer (20.3 points) and top playmaker, missed the Maui title game with a shoulder issue. Whether he returns Tuesday shapes how USC distributes creation duties and minutes.
If he’s good to go, USC is adding a team-high 6.0 assists back into the rotation, far and away the best on team as well as 38.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc on nearly seven attempts. Rice could help speed up this Trojans offense to take away from of the physicality the Ducks present in the half court.
On the other hand, senior guard Chad Baker-Mazara (tied as the team’s leading scorer) and senior guard Jaden Brownell stepped up in Rice’s absence. Brownell scored 16 points and hit three threes in the championship, but relying on that production again in a hostile road environment is a different test. It will also give Trojans coach Eric Musselman a good chance to see how his depth will hold up against an experienced Ducks early in the season.
Cofie continues to emerge as one of the most efficient defensive rebounders in the country. According to CBB Analytics, he ranks in the 91st percentile or better in block rate, and blocks per 40, blocks per foul. His matchup against Oregon’s 7-footer Nate Bittle will dictate the paint battle. If Cofie controls the glass and limits Bittle’s inside-out scoring, USC gains a major defensive advantage.
It should also be noted that 7-foot-5 junior Gabe Dynes is only averaging 9.4 minutes per game through seven games this season but has been effective as a rim protector in his time on the floor. Dynes is averaging 1.3 blocks per game with three games where he had two or more blocks. Do not be surprised if USC dusts Dynes off a bit to have some critical minutes as another big body to help slow down Bittle.
MORE: Steve Sarkisian’s Bold SEC Playoff Claim About Texas Raises Questions About USC
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Oregon enters Tuesday at 4-3 and searching for stability after a winless showing at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada, where the Ducks dropped matchups against Auburn, San Diego State, and Creighton.
The bright spot: 7-footer Nate Bittle, who leads Oregon at 16.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. His ability to stretch the floor at 35 percent from three makes him a matchup challenge. Guard Jackson Shelstad (15.7 points, 5.2 assists) gives Oregon a steady playmaker, while Takai Simpson and Kwame Evans Jr. round out a four-player double-figure scoring group.
However, Oregon’s lack of perimeter efficiency has been costly. The Ducks went 1-for-15 from three in the loss to Creighton and have struggled to defend in transition, giving up 24 fast-break points in that matchup.
Head coach Dana Altman, now in year 15, remains the winningest coach in program history with a 374-162 record and nine NCAA Tournament appearances. With eight returners and nine newcomers, the Ducks are still searching for lineup continuity, especially if Bittle (ankle) or forward Devon Pryor (groin) remain limited by injury.
The USC Trojans will defeat the Oregon Ducks on the road, 82-78
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