USDA Expands Budget Allowing Free Meals for Schools

Free food service has now been introduced for all K-12 students through a program passed by the USDA; this program granted the school the budget for this program and has now been extended from the original planned period.

The free meals were initially planned for September through December but have now been approved by the Trump administration to go through the whole school year.

School nutrition supervisor Monica Glorioso said, “Providing free meals to all community children aged 2-18 ensures every child has equal access to the nutrition they need regardless if they are learning on-campus or virtually.”

With the change of the free food service, there has also been the addition of an altered menu that offers the same meals every week.

“I think that we should be changing the menu to bring variety to our day,” senior Valerie Biddulph said. “Things are already crazy with the changes at school so it is a little disappointing to have a boring lunch menu.”

Although the food service has altered the quality of the lunches such as “the breadsticks for pasta bowls” according to Biddulph, as they “are way better than they were in past years.”

With the free meals offered at the high school, staff members such as principal Dan Dobner wishes it was available when he was growing up.

“If the food at my school was as good as it is here, I would have very much enjoyed having free meals,” Dobner said.

That said, sophomore Olivia Burakowski is among students who may be more comfortable with bringing lunch from home.

“I mostly just prefer making [my own lunches], but I also know what I’m eating,” Burakowski said. “School lunches aren’t really [known to be amazing].”

Given the circumstance of a global pandemic, the school offering free meals to its students benefits the community and ensures the well-being of its younger population.