State Senators have heard on free school meal program Wednesday

Parents, educators and farmers weigh on Minnesota’s free school meal program Wednesday morning in the State Senate.

More than 150,000,000 meals were served during the first year of the program. It is millions more to drive each year than originally assumed with the total cost of about $ 250 million a year.

While people involved in the program spoke, no public testimony was given on Wednesday. Several teachers called the program a “game change” in which they testify that they see fewer students falling asleep in class, fewer visits to the nurse’s office and better performances since free meals program.

Some teachers were emotional on Wednesday and said they remember to be hungry as children, saying this program takes a burden of everyone’s shoulders.

“It’s like a car payment for us to pay for our school meals, of course, is over $ 5,000 a year, what we had come to expect,” said Kate Lundquist of Anoka-Henpin School District. “I remember I was behind their payments and my child had to come home with a red x on hand and say ‘Mom, we have to pay the bill.'”

The Department of Education says on average, the program saves families about $ 1,000 each year per year. Student. Several meals are also eaten in general, including several fruits and vegetables, which farmers also say they have really helped them remain local.

However, all this comes at a price for taxpayers, serving 31% more meals than expected. The program is expected to be $ 176 million over the budget through 2027. Critics of the program say that students from families in need of financial help were already free and reduced meals, only extension of free meals for families who can afford them.

In the meantime, others say that the free meals help students with things like behavioral problems and trips to the nurse as well as delivering new jobs in schools and helping families on the financial limit of leisure examinations for their children.

At the beginning of the school year, officials with Roseville Schools 5 Eyewitness News told that free meals program meant to serve 50% more breakfast and 30% more lunch packages.

“We should be able to feed these kiddos, just as we deliver textbooks to all children. We do not charge for textbooks for some children and give them free of others, ”said Maria Amerman, the Nutrition Service’s supervisor at Roseville Schools during an interview with 5 Eyewite News last year.

Related: The Minnesota Senate approves free school meals Bill in Universal School Meal Bill passes Minnesota House in Free School Lunch Program of Budget, but Walz says it is worth the cost in Minnesota schools without kitchen 1 year with free school meals a resounding success in School Meal’s program begins