An estimated 10 million children now no longer have access to free lunch, according to the Agriculture Department, because their parents are above, or in many cases just barely over, the poverty line.
The elimination of universal free lunch also makes it possible for schools to increase the cost of lunch due to inflation and global supply chain issues. "When kids are hungry in school, it just completely affects everything that happens in the classroom," Arreaza said."It's much harder to focus, to listen and to pay attention and behave as a teacher might want you. It affects their behavior, their academics — all of it."
Her children are, as she described,"high functioning autistic" and picky eaters, so when she packed her children's lunch she was making the same meal every day. After returning to school, she says her sons actually began sampling new foods because everyone had access to free lunch.
Every child deserves to be fed.
It’s about time we should just give free lunches to all students. You don’t need to qualify when your hungry. We spend more money on beautifying parks then it would cost to feed children one meal. We feed more children in 3rd world country, we should feed our kids first.