A new bill could allow more Oklahoma children to access free or reduced-price school lunches, benefiting families in need across the state.
Oklahoma City: A new bill could help more kids get free or reduced-price school lunches over the next two years. If it passes, it could make a big difference for families.
Sen. Carri Hicks introduced the bill, raising the income limit to 250% of the federal poverty level. For a family of four, that’s about $78,000. This change could help an extra 150,000 kids qualify.
Right now, around 425,000 kids in Oklahoma get free or reduced lunches. Hicks and others have tried similar bills before, but they didn’t get through the Senate Education Committee.
In the last two years, several bills aimed at improving school lunch access have failed. However, a previous bill did create a universal electronic application for families.
Last year, some senators were hesitant to expand free meals after the federal pandemic program ended. But Hicks points out that many kids face food insecurity, which affects their ability to learn.
Currently, families below 130% of the federal poverty line can get free lunches, while those below 185% can get reduced-price lunches. Hicks believes the gap is growing due to rising grocery prices and living costs.
She emphasized that hungry kids can’t focus on learning. By increasing the eligibility threshold, more kids can have meals at school, which can boost their academic performance.
The bill mainly targets rural districts that don’t qualify based on student enrollment. Hicks wants to ensure all kids, regardless of where they live, have access to meals.
In larger districts like Oklahoma City Public Schools, most students already qualify for free or reduced lunches due to federal funding. About 81% of their students are eligible.
Hicks expressed concern about the stigma kids face when they can’t pay for lunch. She recalled seeing students receive only a cheese sandwich if they had lunch debt, which isn’t fair.
Bernard mentioned a recent Arkansas bill that fully funded reduced-price meals for a year, helping families avoid financial strain. He believes that universal free meals would be a great step forward.
Some schools, like Tulsa Public Schools, have already implemented universal free meals this year. Mid-Del Public Schools also offered free meals without requiring applications.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Sen. Carri Hicks files bill to give more kids free, reduced-price lunch
