skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina s congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Myorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Clock Ticking Down on School Meal Waivers

play audio
Play

Monday, June 27, 2022   

Time is running out for Congress to extend school meal waivers passed during the COVID public health emergency to help cafeterias find creative ways to distribute healthy food to kids.

Crystal FitzSimons, director of school and out-of-school-time programs for the Food Research and Action Center, said the free school meals for all program produced multiple benefits, and if extended, will help school districts and many Colorado families still struggling with the economic fallout from the pandemic.

"Every child had access to a free school breakfast or lunch, which allowed them to arrive in class well-nourished and ready to learn," FitzSimons explained. "It eliminated unpaid school meal debt."

FitzSimons said the waivers, set to expire Thursday, also stopped lunch-line shaming and a common practice of taking lunches away from kids whose parents fell behind on payments. Last week Congress passed legislation to fund nutrition programs during summer months, but the measure did not extend the free meal waiver. Some critics of the program worried about the cost, and said free meals could lead to government dependency later in life.

In November, Colorado voters will decide whether to finance free meals for all students by limiting state income tax deductions for people earning more than $300,000 a year.

FitzSimons argued making sure all students are well nourished protects the public's investment in good education outcomes, and should be a priority alongside textbooks and transportation to get kids to school.

"If we want to make sure that kids grow up and are able to engage in society, they need to have a good education," FitzSimons contended. "They need to be able to achieve in school, and focus and concentrate and learn. And making sure that they are well nourished is really an important part of it."

Nationally, school meal waivers during the pandemic reduced child hunger, supported academic achievement and improved student behavior, according to a recent report.

Because administrators no longer had to count lunch receipts and process complex qualification applications, FitzSimons emphasized the waivers allowed them to turn their attention to education.

"Reducing their administrative work and administrative costs, at a time when so many school districts were struggling with supply-chain issues and staffing challenges," FitzSimons observed.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021