I sometimes think about my childhood and the fond memories I have of recess and lunchtime with my friends. I think about the love notes my mom left in my lunchbox in elementary school and all of the conversations I had with friends in middle and high school about crushes, teachers, and dramas that seemed like the world at the time.
However, as we shared snacks and lunches with one another, I never thought about the thousands upon thousands of American children who go hungry every day while at school.
My cousin is a dedicated second grade teacher in Baltimore. She has told me about the difficulty teachers face when trying to teach and nurture young people who can barely concentrate due to hunger. I know I am not my best self when I am hungry. I am distracted, sometimes have an attitude, and am definitely not about to be my best self intellectually or emotionally.
There are so many families struggling to provide for their families who need a little extra assistance. If anyone has been to the grocery store lately, they have seen the price of groceries skyrocket. It is so much harder to provide for one’s family as prices continue to increase and job prospects remain stagnant or unattainable for so many.
Beginning in the 2025–2026 school year, New York State School Food Authorities (SFAs) began participating in the federal school lunch and/or breakfast programs. These programs are required to provide reimbursable school meals at no cost to all students.
Children having a proper breakfast, snack, and lunch helps everyone involved in the educational process. Kids have food and can concentrate on their classes, and teachers can spend more time educating their pupils and less time trying to manage behaviors and distractions. New York is doing right by its students — but not all states are following suit.
In the upcoming months, several Democrats will be dipping their toes into potential presidential waters. It is imperative that we know where candidates stand on providing universal school meals. Will they help push to codify universal school meals in the federal budget or push statehouses and governors to make universal school meals a reality for all?
Universal school meals could ensure that children are fed without requiring families to complete income-verification paperwork. A universal program would also subsidize meals for families capable of paying and require lawmakers to identify a continuing source of state or federal funding.
Providing universal school meals is an issue we need to be sure to keep at the forefront of candidate debates and campaign platforms. It is not too early to start thinking about issues that are of importance to you. We are in charge of creating the democracy and society we wish to have.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is a professor at Fordham University; author; senior policy fellow at Brooklyn Org; and co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC.
