Breaking the Stigma: Free Lunch and Breakfast Initiatives
Addressing the challenges surrounding free lunch forms, this article delves into discussions from the Hunger Free Kids Conference, emphasizing the need to simplify the process and ensure every child receives nutritious meals. Insights from key stakeholders highlight the importance of removing barriers and promoting universal access to free lunches. The narrative reflects on strategies, outcomes, and the broader impact on school communities striving to eliminate food insecurity.
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There is Such a Thingas Free Lunch and Breakfast Removing the Stigma Behind Completing Free Lunch Forms Lessons Learned
At the Hunger Free Kids Conference Moderator: What could we do to make it easier to feed more kids? Kevin: Remove the roadblocks for free lunch-pride, paperwork & private data Lt. Gov. Smith: What can the Governor s office do to help? Kevin: Give districts $250 per student, make everyone fill out free lunch form and give them all free lunch Lt. Gov. Smith: Just looked at me funny and said thank you MDE: You would also get all of those compensatory dollars
It shouldnt be that hard. So I called Tom Melcher.
Compensatory Revenue: The Game Changer December 15 final FY 2017 Compensatory revenue calculator10 23 2016.xlsx
If You Dont Like the Rule Change It ..\Free lunch Nov 2016\Free Lunch proposal.docx
MDE Uses December 15thData We had Three Weeks After Board Approval..\Free lunch Nov 2016\A Brave Conversation about Free Lunch.docx
And The Results Are In: GOAL: 257 Forms Filled Out 33 Free 21 Reduced 144 Denied: The number I am most proud of 198 Total Minnesota Nice beat out Minnesota Pride. We came up short of the 80% number. Once were at break even, I didn t really care.
Compensatory Revenue: The Game Changer Tom Melcher s Spreadsheet with Kevin s Modifications December 15 final FY 2017 Compensatory revenue calculator10 23 2016.xlsx
What do NYC, Boston, D.C., Chicago, Detroit and Dallas (over 1.7M total students). & Menahga, MN (1,048 students) have in common?
No kids pay for meals! They have Universal Free Meals and fill out no forms! We have to fill out forms and our district pays the half. We are in our third year.
Other Take-Aways: 1. We now have 500 students who no longer have to pay for lunch 2. We are serving 200+ more students lunch every day. 3. Salad bar sold it for us 4. No more chasing unpaid bills
More Take Aways: 5. We had to hire staff and add prep room 6. You get compensatory Revenue whether students eat or not. 7. We still banked Money. 8. Doubting Parents have promised to fill out the forms next Year 9.We make the form part of our registration and open house.
It turned out, it doesnt have to be that hard! And we have a new revenue source!
No Good Deed Goes Unpunisheed After a Year of Free Meals Form Completion Dropped 20% Compensatory Revenue Dropped $100,000
New Push this Year with threat of ending program. 75% completed forms get $117,000 back next year. Parents save about $500 per child per year, and they can spend it in the community This year salad bar became a federally reimbursable meal
Nationally 20,721 prequalify and do not need to complete any forms because their entire community pre-qualifies. Number of schools in the U.S. with who 9,697,575 Number of students in those schools (19.45% of the total US public school population) 25,826,227 Number public school students on free and reduced lunch as of 2014-15. (51.8%) 15% Students we are missing due to PRIDE, language, fear or confusion 2/3 Total number of children who should qualify if I am right.
B Why are we still filling out forms? We are at the point where meals should be a part of education as much as text books and computers for ALL students.
B Statewide: Need Passive way to Qualify Statewide Universal Free Meals cost per pupil =$200
Nationally: We are already over half way there National Universal Free Meals Cost per pupil $200 for all Benefits ALL Eliminates State and Federal Bureaucracy If you can afford lunch you can donate the money you save
If you try this please email me how many new students will get free lunch because of it and How much new revenue was generated. I will track that data share it out next year. If You Have Questions Later: Kevin Wellen, Superintendent Menahga Public Schools kwellen@menahga.k12.mn.us Cell: 320.491.6256
