More students in line for free, cheaper lunch
By DAN TUOHY
New Hampshire Union Leader
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009 Share on Facebook
MANCHESTER – The weak economy is strengthening the ranks of students in line for free and reduced-price lunch.
New Hampshire numbers are still coming in for this year, but they so far reflect the greater demand in the National School Lunch Program, said Donna Roy, president of the School Nutrition Association of New Hampshire.
"It looks overall like the kids who qualify for free and reduced lunch are certainly utilizing it," Roy said.
This time last year, 33 percent of Manchester public school students were enrolled in the free lunch program, said Jim Connors, the district's director of school food and nutrition services. The percentage jumped to 37 percent so far this year.
"So we're seeing more people eligible for free and reduced than last year," Connors said.
New Hampshire recorded a 6 percent increase in the number of free meals claimed in the program from 2007-08 to 2008-09, according to data provided by Elaine VanDyke, administrator of the Bureau of Nutrition Programs and Services in the state Department of Education.
The state tracked a 3 percent increase in the number of reduced-price lunches over that span.
Nationally, there were 4,583,697 free meals claimed between July 2008 and June 2009.
School food and nutrition directors said they expect 2008-09 trends to continue into 2010. An additional 800,000 students received free and reduced-price lunches last year, according to the School Nutrition Association.
Average meal: $2.92
More than 75 percent of directors surveyed last month indicated they had already noticed an increase in eligible students, according to the association.
"With the economy being so tough, we're all looking for more resources," said Roy, the director of food and nutrition services for Pembroke Academy.
In her district, Roy and her staff served 3,442 free lunches in September 2008 and 4,357 lunches last month, an increase of nearly 27 percent.
The numbers at school districts tell only part of the story. While participation is up, the cost of supplying, preparing and serving meals is also up.
The School Nutrition Association is urging Congress to improve the federal reimbursement rate when it renews the school lunch program this fall. The average cost of a meal is $2.92, while the federal reimbursement is $2.68, according to Alexis Steines, public affairs associate with the Child Nutrition and Policy Center at the School Nutrition Association.
Three-quarters of school food directors surveyed by the School Nutrition Association reported that the reimbursement would not cover the costs of producing a meal. The greater demand falls heavily on those districts already having to do more with less, according to the association.
"Certainly because of the current economic climate, we're definitely seeing an increase in student participation," Steines said.
Billions served
Under the National School Lunch Program, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, free lunches are available to children in households with incomes at or below 130 percent of poverty. Reduced-price lunches are available to children in households with incomes between 130 and 185 percent of poverty. The program also covers a breakfast program and support for snacks.
Speaking of the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack last month underscored the Obama administration's support for strengthening the school lunch and breakfast programs. He said one of the priorities was eliminating barriers to student participation.
Besides greater federal reimbursement, the School Nutrition Association is focused on expanding offerings of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
In 2008, school cafeterias served more than 5 billion lunches, with more than half of them being a free or reduced-price lunch, according to the government.
Total participation in New Hampshire, for fiscal year 2008 and based on a nine-month average, was 112,861.
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Fred, Amherst,
On another note, with 33% percent of students enrolled in free lunch, maybe, just maybe, the economy is really horrendous and people cannot afford the exorbitant tax increases you call for again and again?
- Craig, Manchester, NH
Alan, let me guess, your one of those organic zealots, aren't you? Elementary school lunches are perfectly healthy in Manchester, and if parents don't think so they can make lunch for their kids. Where is the problem here? At the high school level, where I work, the healthy options far outweigh the unhealthy options.
- Fred, Amherst
I have no problem helping out the truly needy.
I just wish we could use more accurate terminology.
Instead of "Free or reduced price lunch" (and also breakfasts in some schools), can't we call them what they are? "Taxpayer subsidized meals"
It might, as the liberals like to say, "raise awareness."
- Peter, Bedford
"Alan, you have no idea what you're talking about. I work in a public school in Mancheste and I can tell you that when I started working there I couldn't believe what a good job the lunch ladies were doing. The food at my school is excellent and generally healthy. Lots of fruits and veggies available. Healthy sandwiches made to order. No soda. It's amazing they can offer what they do for $2 a meal." -Fred from Amherst
Gee, Fred, you had to qualify your opinion of the food, which is the point of my argument. I wonder why?
My argument has nothing to do with the "lunch ladies," as you call them, or their job performance.
This is all about the quality of the government rations our children are being served, since the Gov't is now going to be serving a whole lot more kids for free.
I speak of what I know, and my children are in a Manchester elementary school. There are NO "sandwiches made to order" there. I volunteer at their school, as does my wife.
The "fruits and veggies" offered are full of sugar, salt and preservatives. ALL lunches for my childrens' school are prepared off-site and trucked over to their school about an hour before the lunch period begins. Nothing is cooked/prepared there. And no, of course there isn't any soda- it's an elementary school!
Fred, it seems to be YOU who has no idea what you're talking about here.
Would you feed your children this excellent Government school lunch food every day? How about twice a day, since that is what these "Free or Reduced Lunch" kids will be eating?
It is obvious you did not follow my advice and do a little bit of research on the subject before you chose to attack me. How about you go and do that now?
- Alan, Manchester
Alan, you have no idea what you're talking about. I work in a public school in Mancheste and I can tell you that when I started working there I couldn't believe what a good job the lunch ladies were doing. The food at my school is excellent and generally healthy. Lots of fruits and veggies available. Healthy sandwiches made to order. No soda. It's amazing they can offer what they do for $2 a meal.
- Fred, Amherst
Hey L of Manchester....The young are overweight due to much TV and video games. They just don't play outside like they use to..or should I say we use to. Walk through a store and look at the hand held video games, port DVD, etc. As for us older folk...when is the last time we walked to the corner and back :)(guilty as charged)
The school lunch program has good days and bad just like at home!
However for the most part they kids do get a meal that meet FDA guidelines. So I let my kids have their choice, hot or cold...as long as they eat to replace their energy from being outside and playing sports!
Oh and my tweens have no idea how to play a video game...other than pac man or racing cars...and that is only during a blue moon( which are far and few between).
- LP, manchester
"I know for a fact that the lunches served to the students meet or exceed the state and federal guidelines." -D.
Oh absolutely, having the fox in charge of the hen house is beneficial, isn't it?
Like when your beloved "Federal Guidelines" declared a squirt of Ketchup qualified as a serving of vegetables, right? That happened back in the 80's, some of you may recall. Are you even a parent who cooks, D?
Get real. Government cheese is government cheese. School meals are chock full of fillers like GMO soy and corn, high fructose corn syrup, whey, salt, starches and other processed goodies to make the low-quality meats and vegetables and fruits "taste better."
Even the breading on their nasty chicken nuggets (or chicken rings, or whatever they call them this month) is more unhealthy than popular fast food chicken!
So don't beat on "L" for their comment until you've actually researched the crap that is "hot lunch" yourself, instead of seeing a government bulletin that tells you it's "Healthy!" and then saying "OK, if the government says so, it's true!"
Oh, and when you do some research, pay close attention to the reports from scientists who broke down the foods chemically and disclosed what was actually IN them. Those reports have been downplayed by our government, and some of those scientists have been fired for reporting the truth.
No, we are not an "organic food" family. I won't even attempt to address that, as it has costs far exceeding the government "school lunch" budget. However, when corporate lobbyists for chemical companies get their say... the government cheese will be loaded with GMO crap!
You can take that to the bank. And eventually, your child's pediatrician.
- Alan, Manchester
Wow "L", It's obvious you have no idea what you are talking about! I know for a fact that the lunches served to the students meet or exceed the state and federal guidelines. Your idea of "junk food" must be the fresh fruit, 100% juice drinks, low fat dressings, low fat dips, and fresh vegetables that are served each and everyday in the school cafeterias! Maybe you should try the "junk food" served in our schools, you might not have to worry about being so "fat".
- D, Manchester, NH
At $1.80, that comes to $9.00/week for elementary school lunches. My children bring a much healthier and less expensive lunch from home.
As the schools separate the hot lunch from "cold" lunch kids, my children often asked if they could have hot lunch once in a while, in order to sit with their friends at lunchtime. I had no issue with them eating the school hot lunch maybe once a week, so I allowed it.
They chose which hot lunch they would like each week for a month, and I sent the school a check for them. BUT! My children often- at least half the time- never received the lunch on the menu which I paid for! They received a bowl of cold, sugary cereal and a fruit cup (or similar).
Seems the school "ran out" of the advertised fare, even though they supposedly keep track by requiring parents to detail which lunches they are paying for at the time of payment.
Why? I never received any answers, but I can make an educated guess. So I will never again purchase (full price) hot lunches for my children.
They'll have to tough it out with homemade hot lunches like Lobster Newburg, beef stew. clam chowder and lasagna.
- Alan, Manchester
More Socialism from to Obots. The end is near.
- Jake, Manchester
Speak for yourself L; the schools do a darn good job with the resources available to them. Why don't you do something to make the situation better rather than complain about it?
- Bob V, Manchester
David-
MORE than you want to know!! Some of the families even take vacations and drive nicer cars than I do!
However, that being said..... most of the families really do need the help.
- Katie, Manchester
Have you seen what they feed kids for lunch? It's low grade beef and junk food. We shuold be ashamed of that. No wonder we're all so fat.
- L, Manchester
So, over a third of the families with school aged children in Manchester are within 30% of the poverty line? Wow.
How many of these families, who can't swing $15 a week for thier kids' lunches have multiple kids? How many have flat screen TV's? Just wondering....
- David, Manchester