Memo: NSEA Supports AB319

As reported by the National Education Association, free, nutritious meals for all students have multiple benefits.

School meals support learning.

Students who participate in school meals programs have improved attendance, behavior, academic performance, and achievement. Research has clearly demonstrated the link between school meals and student success, which is especially important now as schools and educators continue to combat the loss of learning opportunity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

School meals promote healthy eating habits.

Students who participate in the school meal program consume breakfasts and lunches of higher nutritional quality and are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables.

School meals improve health outcomes.

Participation in the school breakfast program is associated with lower body mass index, lower probability of being overweight, and a lower likelihood of obesity.

Providing school meals for all improves efficiency.

School meals cost less per student when more students participate in a free meal program. One study found that schools that participated in a universal meal program spent 67 and 58 cents less per lunch and breakfast, respectively, while maintaining the same nutritional quality.

Providing school meals for all keeps the focus on nutrition and students.

Free meals for all students means food service workers can focus exclusively on preparing and serving healthy and nutritious meals to our students, without having to worry about unpaid meal debt collection and burdensome paperwork.