Delaware is facing yet another battle over how it should better subsidize school meal costs, reviving the question of more needs-based support or universal free school meals for all public school students?
Last year, the General Assembly passed legislation that expanded the free school meals program to include students who qualify for a reduced-price meal, which is only costing the state an extra $250,000 annually.
This compromise was reached after State Rep. Sherae’a Moore (D-Middletown) introduced legislation that would require the state to cover the cost of all public school meals, which holds a price tag of around $45 million annually.
There are currently eight states that cover the cost of all school meals and there are two others expected to pass legislation to do the same this year.
Moore reintroduced that bill this year, although the new version would phase in the program over five years, lessening the initial cost burden.
But lawmakers from both parties continue to raise concerns over the exceptionally high fiscal note, especially as the state is poised to enter a budget deficit in the coming years.
State Rep. Michael Smith (R-Pike Creek) joins several of his colleagues in arguing the state should not be covering the cost of school meals for affluent families.
“I believe we do have a system in place where no student is going to go unfed. I personally don't believe the Smith boys should be getting meals at the taxpayer expense. Personally, I think it's my job to make their meal or put money into their account," Rep. Smith said during the bill's hearing in the House Education Committee.
But Rep. Moore says several students still fall through the cracks and free school meals should take priority in the state's future financial planning.
“I do believe that Delaware is long overdue for a review of how we are spending our money and why and reprioritizing on what we invest our money in," she said, going on to reference three recent $20-30 million allocations made by the state. "So if we have the money for those things, I think we should have money to feed our students as well."
Delaware Department of Education Director of Nutrition Programs Aimee Beam clarified during the hearing that no students are denied meals in Delaware regardless of the status of their meal balance.
"We do not have any schools that are in the USDA Child Nutrition Program in the state of Delaware that would deny a meal to a child. USDA actually doesn't require that we feed a child if they have school meal debt — we could choose to deny a meal to that child. Delaware does not," Beam said.
Although, some lawmakers raised concerns around the stigma of a student receiving an alternative meal — colloquially referred to as the "cheese sandwich" meal — which State Rep. Melanie Ross Levin (D-Brandywine) argues could disincentivize them from grabbing a meal altogether for fear of judgement from their peers.
Other lawmakers proposed cost-saving alternatives like encouraging more schools who are eligible to apply for the Community Eligibility Program, which is a federally funded program that reimburses high-poverty schools for meals based on the percentage of students categorically eligible for free meals based on their family's participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
Another alternative approach discussed would be for the state to cover the cost of any school meal debt bills at the end of the year, which can float around tens of thousands of dollars per school as opposed to the $45 million annual cost to provide universal free school meals.
Rep. Moore said she considered a bill that would take this "pay down school meal debt" approach but ultimately felt there were too many moving parts.
"It was a lot of mechanisms that played a part in determining that balance, so that's why I didn't go that route, because I thought about it, and then it was just, 'well, how do you make sure that doesn't happen?' Universal meals," Rep. Moore said.
Her bill garnered enough support to be released from committee, but it now awaits consideration in the House Appropriations Committee.
All bills with fiscal notes must clear appropriations before heading to the House Floor for a full-chamber vote, but House leadership has decided to place all bills with fiscal notes on hold until more data on the financial well-being of the state is released.
During Rep. Moore's bill hearing, she and House Education Committee Chair Kim Williams (D-Stanton) reiterated their promise to collaborate on a solution following the hearing of a separate school meals bill introduced by Rep. Williams one week prior.
William's House Bill 91 would have expanded eligibility for free meals from 185% of the federal poverty level to at or below 225% — that bill carried an annual fiscal note of around $10 million.
This legislation was also voted out of the education committee and into appropriations, but not without expressed disappointment from Rep. Moore on a lack of transparency and collaboration on the bill.
One day after Rep. Moore's universal school meal bill was released from committee and the day before the legislature entered a two-week Spring Recess, Rep. Williams introduced a substitute version of House Bill 19 that would no longer expand the eligibility for free meals but instead require the state to only cover the cost of school breakfast in all public schools, regardless of household income.
A new fiscal note has not yet been attached to the bill.
The legislature is set to return on Tuesday, May 6.
