OSPI's 2024 legislative proposals include free meals at all elementary schools in Washington
TUKWILA, Wash. - When children are hungry at school, they can’t give their full attention to learning. Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction hopes to address the issue by proposing legislation to provide free meals at all elementary schools.
OSPI said the 2024 legislative proposal is part of OSPI’s long term goal of offering no-cost meals to all students in Washington. State superintendent Chris Reykdal requested free school meals for all students in our K-12 schools during the 2023 legislative session. State lawmakers made progress by funding free meals in elementary schools with certain percentages of students identified as low-income. This includes Tukwila School District.
The new proposal would expand last year’s legislation. OSPI officials said, "In the Superintendent’s request this year, since it is a supplemental budget year and we want our requests to be more targeted, he requested free meals for all elementary school students as a next step."
The proposal reads, "During the COVID-19 pandemic, federal waivers provided all students access to meals free of charge. Since then, schools have had to return to normal operations where many students must be charged for meals if they don’t meet federal requirements for free or reduced-price meals or their school is not eligible to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)."
In the proposal, Reykdal wrote, "Although school meal program regulations prevent identifying a student’s eligibility status to peers, the stigma persists. Choosing to eat school meals can often be seen as a source of shame, indicating your household's need for financial support. This often results in students being less likely to access meals and instead choosing to go hungry."
If state lawmakers adopt OSPI’s proposal, the state superintendent explained, "Funding will supplement federal reimbursement and cover costs for schools who are not eligible to participate in federal universal meal options to ensure every elementary-aged student has the same opportunity."
The positive impact of good nutrition on students is literally food for thought. A study by Syracuse University showed improved test scores, especially in math, at schools where students had regular breakfast and lunch options.
Most education leaders would say a student’s success in the classroom isn’t measured solely by academics.
"The child should always have the opportunities to come to school ready to learn. And it’s our job and our students’ rights to ensure that they have what they need to start school. We do that with academics, we should do that with food as well," said Dr. Concie Pedroza, interim superintendent of Tukwila School District.
The district was a beneficiary of the legislation that passed in 2023, now providing breakfast and lunch to students at no cost to them.
"It’s a big difference for our students. We actually also make sure that our breakfast time is open, the meals are really well done, and the students are getting the full opportunities to eat all the groups that they need to have," said Pedroza. "It is a way to guarantee food, a full meal for our students to start every day in a really positive way in Tukwila."
For the current school year, OSPI reports that 512,041 students are identified as low-income, meaning that they are eligible for free and reduced-price meals based on their family’s income. This makes up 46.6% of the statewide student population.
Pedroza said many families in her district experience food insecurity. She explained that 75% of the district is high-poverty. Before the previous legislation, most children were on free or reduced meals.
"I was a kid who was a free and reduced lunch kid," shared Pedroza. "There’s many of us that have been there. I just want to make sure that whatever we want for our own children, our own grandchildren, our nieces and nephews, we should want for every child in the state of Washington."
The 2024 Legislative Session starts Jan. 8. If the proposal is adopted, OSPI said about 80% of Washington students will attend a school that offers them free breakfast and lunch.