Feeding Texas and State Representative Helen Giddings (D-Dallas) highlighted growing concern over “school lunch shaming” this week by urging passage of HB 2159, a bill defining minimum standards for Texas schools when a student’s lunch account runs out of funds.
“Children should never be shamed when their family falls on hard times,” said Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas.”If a family loses the ability to pay for lunch their child should receive care and concern, not a cheese sandwich.”
The New Mexico legislature recently passed a similar law, prompting widespread attention on social media and fundraising efforts to cover student lunch balances in cities across the nation, including Austin.
“In Texas schools today, students who experience economic struggles at home face them in the lunch line as well,” said Rep. Giddings. “When parents have not deposited funds in their lunch accounts, students have their chosen lunch taken away and replaced by a cold, sack lunch. Students are often too young to understand. They do not know why they are being treated differently and often are taunted and bullied by other students. Afterwards, some are afraid to go through the lunch line – pretending they are not hungry.
“This ‘Lunch Shaming” needs to stop. I have filed HB 2159 to address this situation and ensure that every Texas child is well-nourished and focused on their education, not their next meal. Let us leave finances to the adults and keep our kids focused on actualizing their wildest dreams.”
Texas law requires schools to provide a grace period to students whose accounts run out of funds, but no guidelines exist to ensure that the child will not be stigmatized with lower-quality food or public identification in the lunch-line. Current law also does not specify the steps schools must take to contact the family to determine whether the child may have become eligible for free or reduced-price meals. HB 2159 would address these deficiencies in the law to ensure students can continue to eat and are not shamed for their family’s economic situation.
Per federal law, students whose families earn less than 130% of the poverty line (about $32,000 annually for a family of 4) are eligible to receive free lunches, while children whose family income is between 130% and 185% of the poverty line pay a reduced-price.
When a family whose child normally receives reduced-cost or full-price meals can no longer afford to pay, children may have their meals taken away from them in the lunch line with no advance warning or attempt to contact the family. In addition to shaming the child, it is well documented that children cannot learn when they are hungry.
Giddings and Feeding Texas are seeking a hearing from the House Public Education Committee as soon as possible to address the issue.
Feeding Texas leads a unified effort for a hunger-free Texas. Learn more and find your local food bank at feedingtexas.org.
##