BOSTON — State Rep. Donald Wong (R-Saugus) announced Thursday that he supported a school-nutrition bill that would expand student eligibility for free school meals in Massachusetts.
Proponents say the bill, which was unanimously approved in the state House of Representatives on Wednesday, would eliminate “meal-shaming” policies that result in penalizing students who are unable to pay.
The bill, “An act promoting student nutrition,” has also passed in the Senate and is pending approval from Gov. Charlie Baker, who has to sign the legislation into law.
The legislation would make it mandatory for individual schools and school districts with at least 50 percent of its students falling into a low-income bracket to participate in a federal program that provides free breakfast and lunch to all students. Wong said the bill allows school districts to apply for a waiver if participating in the program will result in financial hardship.
School districts participating in the national school-lunch program are directed by the bill to maximize federal revenues while minimizing debt on students’ families. The bill also requires that the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) establish protocols to help school districts toward meeting these goals.
The bill also requires that DESE guide school superintendents on how to notify parents or guardians about a student’s unpaid meal debt. School districts would be given 30 days from the date the notification is issued to determine if the student is eligible for free or reduced-price meals. During the 30 days, students cannot be denied access to a school meal, Wong said.
The bill offers strong protections to ensure that students are not punished if they are unable to pay for a school meal or owe money for a previously-served meal. The bill prohibits schools from taking any action that publicly identifies a student who owes money for meals. It also stops schools from serving a student with unpaid meal debt, an alternative meal that is not available to all students.
Students will not be denied a meal as a form of behavioral discipline or punishment. The bill also prohibits the disposal of an already-served meal due to a student’s inability to pay or past unresolved meal debt. Schools will not be allowed to block a student or their siblings from participating in extracurricular activities, field trips, or school events because of the student’s unresolved meal debt.
Preventing a student from graduating or blocking the release of a student’s grades, official transcripts, or report cards solely because of unresolved meal debt is not allowed. Schools are also prohibited from requiring a parent or guardian to pay fees or costs for meals previously served to the student over the actual amounts owed, Wong said.
Hannah Chadwick can be reached at [email protected].
