This school year, Hauppauge high school is now offering to give all students free hot lunch and breakfast. This was a great addition they added which gave everyone different opinions on whether they agree with it or not.
You may be wondering, why did Hauppauge offer free breakfast and lunch? They offered this because some students may come from families where money is not in abundance and may have to skip lunch if it isn’t in their budget. Also, in schools where this is offered a lot more students experience less hunger and are more prepared to learn. Families struggling with inflation receive financial ease.
To understand how students feel about the free school lunch and breakfast, we went around the school asking kids to share their opinions. Some said it’s great and they love not having to worry about bringing money or food from home. Others also said they like having the option to know they won’t go hungry during the day. One kid said “I like the free school lunch and breakfast because last year I was in debt negative $100” Having the free school lunch and breakfast gives students and parents the relief of having to pay off a school lunch card especially if it builds up. We also got opinions from staff to see if they think free school lunch and breakfast is an advantage or disadvantage for the students. Some staff believe most students don’t take advantage of the free lunch and breakfast program, and others believe that the school breakfast is a disadvantage because it makes students late to class in the morning. One staff member even said “Everyone needs food but if they can afford it, they should pay for it.” This was said because it gets taken out of peoples taxes and some people can use that tax money for other necessities. Other staff mentioned that another advantage of the free school lunch and breakfast program is that it gives parents peace of mind knowing their children won’t go hungry all day. Without this pressure on parents they can focus on other priorities knowing their children’s basic needs are being met at school.
Free school lunch and breakfast offers many benefits for the students both academically and personally. When students have access to free food at all times of the day they are able to stay energized and concentrate more in class. For some families, free school lunch also reduces financial stress because they don’t have to worry about their children eating throughout the day due to a tight budget. On top of that, having free school meals can promote healthier eating habits and reduce the shame some students may feel when going without lunch because they have no money.
