Free school meals for all Michigan students ends due to lack of funding

Heads up for all parents and Michigan students!

Back in my hometown, lunches were always provided for children. It was an essential thing since many students grew up in poorer communities.

However, Michigan is not having that.

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Michigan students will not have guaranteed free meals for this upcoming 2022-2023 school year unless Congress gives the necessary funding.

So, kids pack your lunches the night before.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (or USDA) has not been given Congress' consent to keep providing free breakfast and lunch to students.

Starting in 2020, all students, regardless of their parent's income and backgrounds, could have received free breakfast and lunch for the past two years. They also increased meal reimbursement rates and relaxed the regulations of school nutrition program guidelines.

According to Otsego Public Schools Food Service Coordinator Julie Guthrie, this will have a huge impact on both the students and parents of Michigan schools.

"It's going to make a huge impact, especially with the prices of groceries in the store these days. If you are in that phase just sending your child to school because you know that they're going to be taken care of, we, unfortunately, can't do that this year. We don't have the funding."

According to the state health department, Michigan is working with United States Senator Debbie Stabenow, chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, in hopes to convince Congress to bring back the waivers.

Stabenow introduced a bill to extend the waivers through September 2023.

"We should make it easier for kids to get the meals they need - not harder. As we come out of this pandemic, schools are doing their best, but it takes time for them to transition back to their operations before COVID. We can't let hungry kids get caught in the middle."