School Budget Cuts Can Cause
Increase in
Summer Childhood Hunger
Texas households experience food insecurity at a rate of
nearly 19 percent (one of the highest in the nation). Kids without access to
meals are less likely to perform well in school and more likely to be at risk
of poor health. While most children have access to meals during the year
through the national school lunch program, participation in summer nutrition
programs is drastically low, causing food insecurity rates to jump during
summer months.
The United States Department of Agriculture gives states the
option to provide a
federally funded meal program for children during the summer.
Without access to these meals many low-income families struggle
to make ends meet. Yet only 11 percent of those eligible for free or reduced-priced
meals receive food during the summer, marking a need to increase access to the
program.
The summer food program in Texas is administered by the
Texas Department
of Agriculture (TDA). In 1993 state legislators passed Senate Bill (SB) 714, which
required schools with 60 percent or more of their students receiving free or
reduced-priced meals during the school year to offer a summer nutrition
program.
And during the last session, the 2011 Texas Legislature
passed SB 89 which expands the number of school districts that must participate
by requiring schools with only 50 percent or more of their students receiving
free or reduced priced meals during the school year to offer a summer nutrition
program.
PROGRAM CHALLENGES FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Operating the summer meal program presents a wide range of challenges,
even for school districts experienced in operating the free lunch program
during the school year. The primary concern is running a financially solvent
program.
Federal meal reimbursement rates are modest, and haven’t
kept pace
with food costs. This summer, school districts are particularly concerned
about covering program expenses because of cuts to their operating budgets.
These cuts mean schools are struggling to keep buildings air-conditioned,
transport children to feeding sites, and pay kitchen staff to prepare meals.
School food service providers all have varying levels of fixed and variable
costs. Reimbursement for the program is on a per-meal basis,
meaning school food service providers need to achieve a certain
level of participation to cover their costs associated with running the
program. High participation is the key to running a financially solvent
program.
BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION
The two largest barriers school districts face to achieve high participation
are
lack of transportation and insufficient of outreach. Many rural school
districts
face transportation barriers involving long distances between schools and
households, while urban schools are faced with safety concerns for walking children.
Most school districts do not have the budgets to keep busses
running during
the summer, and since many children in need of the program use the bus to
get to school, districts experience low turnout at their sites.
These participation rates often lead school leadership to
conclude that these meals are not needed.
Organizations around the country are looking to address these barriers to
participation.
One Texas non-profit caught national attention for its
innovative solution.
CitySquare, a non-profit summer food sponsor based in Dallas, pioneered
an urban meal delivery program which used housing complexes as meal sites.
Teams drove from site to site along a predetermined route delivering and
serving
meals. Most routes were run twice a day bringing both breakfast and lunch.
Low participation can also result from a lack of program outreach. Children,
parents and other summer childcare providers often don’t know the meals are
available, whether they are eligible, or when schools are open. Getting this
information out to the community can be difficult as fliers get lost in
backpacks and automated calls go unanswered or ignored. Strong community networks
are required to assure families understand they are eligible for the meals and
where to find them.
SOLUTIONS TO FILL THE NUTRITION GAP THIS SUMMER
In this time of school budget crisis, it is critical for community
organizations
to step in to assure that Texas children remain fed and healthy this summer.
If your organization has the capacity to provide any
assistance for the summer
program, including building space, transportation, outreach, or volunteers,
we urge you to approach your school district or local summer meals sponsor and
let them know you value these programs and want to help.
Eligible organizations include non-profit and faith-based
organizations, day
camps, and units of local government, like a city parks and recreation
department.
For-profit business sites can also participate by becoming a
feeding site.
For assistance finding a sponsor close to you, contact Jonathan Lewis.
Jonathan Lewis
512.320.0222, ext. 132
lewis@cppp.org
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