Teacher Practical Guidance:

Free School Meals

Category: External

Rank Order

86

Effect Size

0.04

Achievement Gain %

1

How-To Strategies

How-To Resources

Link – ARTICLE (CCC) Universal School Meals

 

Link – ARTICLE (HER) 7 key findings of Free school meals

 

Link – ARTICLE (JAMA) Universal school meals & student outcomes

References

Ashraf, Singh, Uwimpuhwe, Coolen-Maturi, Einbeck, Higgins, Kasim. (2021). Individual participant data meta-analysis of the impact of educational interventions on pupils eligible for free school meals. British Educational Research Journal.

 

Bartfeld  JS, Berger  L, Men  F.  Universal access to free school meals through the Community Eligibility Provision is associated with better attendance for low-income elementary school students in Wisconsin.   J Acad Nutr Diet. 2020;120(2):210-218. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2019.07.022

 

Bullock  SL, Dawson-McClure  S, Truesdale  KP, Ward  DS, Aiello  AE, Ammerman  AS.  Associations between a universal free breakfast policy and school breakfast program participation, school attendance, and weight status: a district-wide analysis.  Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(7):3749. doi:10.3390/ijerph19073749

 

Cohen  JFW, Hecht  AA, McLoughlin  GM, Turner  L, Schwartz  MB.  Universal school meals and associations with student participation, attendance, academic performance, diet quality, food security, and body mass index: a systematic review.  Nutrients. 2021;13(3):911. doi:10.3390/nu13030911

 

Domina  T, Clark  L, Radsky  V, Bhaskar  R.  There is such a thing as a free lunch: school meals, stigma, and student discipline.  Am Educ Res J. 2024;61(2):287-327. doi:10.3102/00028312231222266

 

Katz  E, Rockenback H. New state and federal policies expand access to free school meals. National Conference of State Legislature. Accessed January 9, 2024. https://www.ncsl.org/state-legislatures-news/details/new-state-and-federal-policies-expand-access-to-free-school-meals

 

Localio  AM, Knox  MA, Basu  A, Lindman  T, Walkinshaw  LP, Jones-Smith  JC.  Universal free school meals policy and childhood obesity.  Pediatrics. 2024;153(4):e2023063749. doi:10.1542/peds.2023-063749

 

Marcus  M, Yewell  KG.  The effect of free school meals on household food purchases: evidence from the Community Eligibility Provision.  J Health Econ. 2022;84:102646. doi:10.1016/j.jhealeco.2022.102646

 

USDA Food and Nutrition Service. Final rule: child nutrition programs—CEP increasing options for schools. Accessed December 26, 2023. https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/fr-092623

 

 

Free School Meals

 

DEFINITION

Free school meals are nutritionally balanced breakfasts and/or lunches provided to students at no charge during the school day through public programs. These meals are typically funded by government reimbursements and are designed so that cost is not a barrier to a child eating at school.

 

DATA

  • 2 Meta Analysis reviews

  • 129 Research studies

  • 600,000 Students in research.

  • 3 Confidence level.  link

 

QUOTES

Free school meals, especially universal free school meal programs, are associated with better nutrition security, modest academic gains, and some improvements in health, attendance, and behavior, with no evidence of academic harm. They also reduce stigma and financial stress for families, and can strengthen school finances through higher meal participation. link

 

 

Universal free meal policies shift costs from families to public reimbursement, with one analysis estimating average family savings on the order of over one hundred dollars per child per month in high‑cost areas. District- and national‑level evaluations highlight operational benefits: increased federal reimbursement due to higher participation, reduced administrative burden from not processing individual applications, and simpler claiming procedures. link

 

Quasi‑experimental work on universal free lunch finds that higher lunch participation improves test scores for both low‑income and higher‑income students, and some newer studies link CEP to modest increases in graduation rates, particularly in schools where fewer students were originally eligible for free meals. link