Republican bill to dramatically affect school-lunch program

Over 500,000 kids in Wisconsin rely on school lunches

Ask any teacher if a hungry student is learning to their full potential.

If a new bill passes the House, a lot more kids could be going hungry, losing out on school lunches.

A new amendment to a federal bill giving states more control on child nutrition programs is causing concern.

Funding will change – schools will find it harder to qualify for federal assistance. Indianapolis Republican Todd Rokita’s bill will lower nutrition standards, as well.

Renee Slotten-Beauchamp with the School Nutrition Association of Wisconsin says the changes will affect the program and the children drastically, and people need to talk to their legislatures to put a pause on this bill.

“Right now, we get reimbursement for every paid meal we serve,” she said. “That’s going to go away.

“We get $.06 if we have met all the nutrition standards – with low sodium, low fat, calories. That would no longer be a provision in this bill.”

Slotten-Beauchamp says 500,000 children in Wisconsin alone rely on school lunches each year, and the program isn’t doing it for the money.

“We’re not making any profit on a school lunch program,” Slotten-Beauchamp said. “The average lunch price is $2.50. And out of all that, comes our labor to buy food, supplies.”

Slotten-Beauchamp is concerned funding issues would increase if it were left up to individual states, and eliminating nutrition requirements in the food would make students academic performance suffer.