State Lawmakers Sponsor Bill To Provide Free School Meals

PROVIDENCE, RI — Rhode Island state lawmakers have sponsored legislation to provide free meals to all students in public schools.

State Sen. Jonathon Acosta, D- Central Falls and Pawtucket, and state Rep. Enrique George Sanchez, D-Providence, are sponsoring the bill.

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“As our state makes improving educational outcomes a top priority for the rest of the decade, it’s also time for us to give our students the most important thing they need for educational success — a school day free from hunger," Acosta said in a media release.

“The evidence is crystal clear that we can improve learning, improve student health and reduce social stigma, all with just two meals each school day," Acosta said. "The status quo lets too many students fall through the cracks.”

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The legislation would provide all public school students access to breakfast and lunch at no cost, regardless of family income, to ensure they are fed and prepared to learn, according to the release.

The bill would institute universal school meals in three phases, the release said, beginning in all public elementary schools in the 2027-2028 school year, middle schools the following year and high schools the year after that.

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“We can’t begin to invest in our schools if our students are hungry,” Sanchez said in the release.

“The rising prices of housing, utilities and food mean that some families who don’t currently qualify for free school meals can’t afford them, leaving them hungry or in debt," Sanches said. "It’s time to make sure no student attends school on an empty stomach.”

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From the onset of the pandemic until the start of the 2022-2023 school year, school meals were provided to all public-school students nationwide for free through federal emergency funding and waivers.

"The substantial benefits — both for students and for schools — prompted several states to enact similar bills," the release said. "If lawmakers pass this bill, Rhode Island will become the 10th state, following Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, California, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico and New York, to permanently enact a free school meals program."

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