The Together for School Meals coalition is deeply disappointed by the North Dakota House’s decision to defeat House Bill 1475, a bill that would have provided free school meals to every child in our state. This legislation had the potential to transform the lives of thousands of North Dakota children, ensuring no student would have to sit in a classroom hungry. While we appreciate the effort to expand income eligibility for school meals to 225% of the federal poverty level (up from 200%), this change still leaves too many families struggling to afford meals for their children.
Access to nutritious meals is fundamental to a child’s ability to learn, thrive and reach their full potential. When children are well-fed, they are better able to focus, participate and succeed in school. School meals are as essential to education as textbooks and teachers — hunger should never be a barrier to learning. Yet, for many families in North Dakota, the rising costs of groceries, rent and other necessities make it difficult to afford daily meals, creating stress, hardship and hunger for many children.
The leadership of young people on this issue has been inspiring — and we need to listen. From the powerful testimonies of students in committee hearings to community initiatives like the one highlighted in the Minot Daily News, youth voices have been at the forefront of advocating for free school meals. In the article, Minot High School senior Avery Dodd, who helped launch the MPS No Lunch Debt initiative to raise funds to pay off $20,000 in school meal debt, captured the heart of the issue: “For a lot of kids, their school lunches are the one hot meal a day they get. Not everyone is fortunate enough to go home and have dinner ready. It just creates a lot of financial stress and anxiety on parents, and sometimes even on the students because they have no say over it. It’s an anxiety passed on to them.” The Together for School Meals coalition agrees wholeheartedly.
House Bill 1475 would have provided significant financial relief to hardworking families — putting an estimated $850 per child per year back into the pockets of parents already stretched thin. The bill also would have helped reduce the stigma associated with school meal debt and the burden placed on school staff tasked with collecting unpaid meal fees.
During testimony we heard legislators did not want to feed the “wealthy’s children.” Let’s set the record straight as this is a very small percentage of the population. A living wage in North Dakota for a family of four, with both adults working is over $103,000 with most North Dakota family households making under $100,000.
Additionally, passing healthy school meals for all is a critically important lever to pull as we strive to become the healthiest state in the nation.
The overwhelming public support shows North Dakotans believe every child deserves to be nourished and ready to learn. The Together for School Meals coalition remains steadfast in our commitment to ensuring every child in North Dakota has access to healthy, nutritious meals at school. We call on lawmakers to find a way forward and pass a free school meals policy this legislative session.
The authors signed this on behalf of 86 members of the Together for School Meals Coalition.
