It’s a sound investment in student achievement to ensure that Nebraska’s students aren’t going hungry, and a recent change in federal rules could give the state and individual school districts more flexibility to offer free school meals.
In September, the U.S. Department of Agriculture lowered the threshold for schools to provide free meals to all students and be reimbursed by the federal government for associated costs. Under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), student eligibility is determined through federal benefits programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), eliminating the need for schools to collect individual applications.
Qualification under the Community Eligibility Provision was lowered to include schools where 25% or more of students are certified for free school meals without submitting an application. Previously, schools qualified if at least 40% of their students were pre-certified.
Last school year, at least one elementary, middle or high school in 26 Nebraska school districts enrolled under the Community Eligibility Provision.
Based on data from the Nebraska Department of Education, qualification could expand to include approximately 530 schools in more than 140 of Nebraska’s school districts under the rule change.
In determining participation, qualifying schools must consider a number of factors including weighing reimbursement against costs in determining if they can afford to sign up for the program. The benefits to students, however, are clear. Access to free school meals is linked to improvement in attendance and to increased test scores. Nutritious school meals also improve health outcomes for students, contributing to preventing childhood obesity.
During the federal COVID-19 public health emergency, Congress temporarily made meals free for all students. That assistance has now ended, but eight states – California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico and Vermont – now provide universal free meals through varied funding mechanisms, including federal reimbursement.
Two bills introduced during the 2023 legislative sessions – LB 99 and LB 627 – proposed to add free meals to all students in Nebraska, where 1 in 8 children is food insecure. While neither advanced from committee, universal school meals may be back on the agenda for the next legislative session as the CEP rule change reduces the cost and enhances the opportunity for every student to achieve academic success.