Testimony In Support of Senate Bill No. 1216: “An Act Concerning Funding for Student Meals.” A

Senator Osten, Representative Walker, Senator Berthel, Representative Nuccio, and esteemed Connecticut General Assembly members of the Appropriations Committee, 

Thank you for the opportunity to testify in support of Senate Bill No. 1216 “An Act Concerning Funding for Student Meals.” As President of United Way of Western CT and President of Stamford Cradle to Career, we are submitting written testimony in support of no-cost school meals for all, which promotes the academic success ofConnecticut’s students and provides tangible, financial relief to Connecticut families.

United Way of Western Connecticut represents a 15-town region that includes Stamford, northern Fairfield County, and Southern Litchfield County. Stamford Cradle to Career works to ensure that all Stamford children succeed in education, career, and life. Both organizations work to support hard-working households called ALICE® (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) to help ensure that they have every opportunity to succeed and thrive in Connecticut. ALICE families make more than the federal poverty limit but not enough to afford basic necessities like housing, food, child care, healthcare, transportation, etc. Across Connecticut, nearly 40% of households live at or below the ALICE threshold. ALICE is in every community and in every House and Senate district.

Senate Bill 1216 responds to the economic reality of Connecticut families: a family of four in Connecticut – two adults with an infant and a preschooler – needs to earn over $110,000 annually to afford the basic cost of living as defined in the ALICE Survival Budget. School meals are a critical support for ALICE families. In the fall of 2021, 41% of Connecticut ALICE households with children experienced food insecurity, and today, more than 50% earn too much to qualify for food support, such as free and reduced-price school meals and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This school year, when meals were no longer free for all students, meal counts dropped dramatically. Many students eligible for free and reduced-price meals stopped eating at school, preferring to go hungry rather than be identified as food insecure. Without permanent funding in place, the impact on children and schools will be devastating.

School meals should be a universal benefit like desks or textbooks, not an afterthought. No-cost school meals level the playing field for all students, promoting equity and inclusion. Households of color in Connecticut are disproportionately impacted by food insecurity and hunger, with more than half living below the ALICE threshold. Studies show a direct link between access to universal school meals and improved academic performance, attendance, and classroom behavior. Kids feel safer in school when meals are universally available. The risk of obesity is lower, especially for children in poverty. No-cost meals leverage our schools’ efficient and effective existing infrastructure to advance education, bolster families’ financial stability, and actively work to reduce economic and racial disparities.

For districts to benefit from Senate Bill 1216, they must participate in National School Meal Programs and maximize federal cost-sharing. Towns that do not participate in such programs will not be eligible for no-cost school meals funding. Currently, some of the wealthiest towns in CT, including Darien, New Canaan, Wilton, Weston, and Westport, have opted out of National School Meal Programs and would not benefit from this legislation. SB 1216 also offers opportunities for our state to reinvest in meal programs, such as staffing improvements, local procurement, nutrition education, and menu diversification that support our local economy and encourage lifelong healthy eating for all.

Universal access to no-cost school meals is an essential ingredient to a successful education and a vibrant economy. According to the Rockefeller Foundation, every dollar invested in providing healthy meals for students leads to at least two dollars in health, economic, equity, and environmental benefits. When children are fed and when families are financially stable, they thrive and so do our communities. The failure to invest in no-cost school meals for all students negates every investment we make in educating our children because a hungry child cannot learn.

No-cost school meals for all students do not detract from our educational investments. It does not have to be an either, or. School meals are an investment – one of the best we can make – in student success and the future of Connecticut. 

Thank you to the committee for the opportunity to submit this testimony. We urge you to support this critical program for our kids, their families, and their success. 

Respectfully,

Isabel Almeida
President, United Way of Western Connecticut

Edith Presley
President, Stamford Cradle to Career