This year, every school district can serve lunches to all students for free, under a federal policy established to combat food insecurity during the pandemic. But what happens when school returns to normal?

After three years of advocacy, Massachusetts lawmakers are on the verge of adopting new policies that would provide free lunch to more children while ending the practice of “meal shaming,” placing restrictions on children whose families owe money for meals.

“It’s time to bring an end to unconscionable methods of shaming students whose families can’t afford meals,” bill sponsor Sen. Cynthia Stone Creem, a Newton Democrat, said on the Senate floor.

The Senate on Thursday passed a version of a student nutrition bill, which passed the House July 29. While additional votes are necessary, support from both bodies means the bill is getting closer to Gov. Charlie Baker’s desk. A Baker spokesperson said the governor will review any legislation that reaches his desk.

The legislation, sponsored by Creem and Rep. Andy Vargas, a Haverhill Democrat, would require all school districts where at least half of students are low-income to enroll in a federal program that lets them offer all students free breakfast and lunch without collecting applications from each household. The federal government reimburses the school based on the number of low-income students it has. This ensures that more students can easily get school meals while reducing schools’ administrative burdens. School districts could get a waiver from applying if it would cause financial hardship.

In districts that charge for meals, the bill would ensure students get food without being embarrassed for debt. If a family owes money, the school would have to determine if the student qualifies for free or reduced price lunch, so eligible students can enroll. Schools could not give a student a meal that is different from what is offered to others, restrict the student’s activities, or publicly identify a student whose family owes money.

The bill’s genesis is a report the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute did in 2018, which chronicled the disparate practices districts have for addressing meal debt. In extreme cases, cafeteria workers were instructed to throw away a hot meal and exchange it for a cold cheese sandwich, publicly stigmatizing children. Students were prohibited from participating in sports, field trips, or graduation due to meal debt.

That report drew attention to the problem, and in 2019 the Legislature required districts to create and publicize their plans for handling meal debt. An attempt by advocates to prohibit student restrictions over debt was filed late in the session and never passed, after school business administrators raised concerns about parents who can afford to pay for meals but choose not to. The compromise bill was intended to make schools think about their policies, and make parents aware of them.

After COVID-19 hit, a bill prohibiting “meal-shaming” failed to pass last session. Advocates hope this year it will become law.

“As school districts and education returns to normal, we think it’s critical to keep children out of the middle of meal debt discussions and maximize the federal nutrition dollars available to states to feed every child,” said Pat Baker, senior policy analyst at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute.

Legislation being considered by Congress under President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda would expand the number of schools eligible to offer universal free meals and increase reimbursements.

Robert Shaheen, director of food services at New Bedford public schools, noted that there are competing interests. Food service workers don’t want to deny children meals, but the USDA does not let schools give away meals for free, and debts must be paid.

Shaheen said if schools are eligible for the universal free meal program, but have a smaller percentage of poor students, the reimbursement rate is lower. “You have to decide as a program operator can you still meet your financial needs to pay staff, buy food at that lower percentage, and provide free meals to all the students,” Shaheen said.

In an ideal world, Shaheen said, the USDA would approve universal free meals for all students, just as it is doing during the pandemic. “For every school district to just include the meal as part of the education, that’s what we’d really be looking for,” he said.

SHIRA SCHOENBERG

 

FROM COMMONWEALTH

House backs mandate: The House approved a phased reopening with vaccine mandates after a spirited, two-hour debate and a 131-28 vote along party lines. The decision applies to House lawmakers as well as staff. Read more.

Offshore wind priorities: Only two offshore wind developers submitted bids for the latest round of Massachusetts power contracts. The heavily redacted bids released to the public contained no information on price and vague promises about onshore economic development, but the contracting process is nevertheless rekindling a debate about whether the state should prioritize price or development as it pursues offshore wind. Read more.

Soldiers’ home legislation: Addressing the death of 77 veterans at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, a legislative committee unveils legislation that would abolish separate boards for the Holyoke and Chelsea homes and replace them with a statewide advisory council. The legislation would also create a cabinet-level secretary of veterans affairs. Read more.

OPINION

Pregnancy costs: Nneka Hall of Quilt and Rebercca Hart Holder of NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts say insurance should cover all pregnancy-related costs so women don’t have to choose between care and debt. Read more.

 

FROM AROUND THE WEB

 

BEACON HILL

The Senate passes a bill that would let people designate their gender as X on state-issued identification. (Associated Press)

The inspector general filed a bill that would allow for civil lawsuits against public workers who commit time card fraud. (Eagle-Tribune)

MUNICIPAL MATTERS  

The war of words continued between Boston Acting Mayor Kim Janey and Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo over plans by Boston officials to move 30 homeless people from the troubled Mass. and Cass area to a Revere hotel. (Boston Herald) 

Kari MacRae, who ran uncontested for the Bourne School Committee, is coming under fire for a social media post in which she criticized critical race theory and efforts to teach students that they can choose to be a boy or a girl. (Cape Cod Times)

HEALTH/HEALTH CARE

Superior Court Judge Jackie Cowin denied the State Police union’s request to halt Gov. Charlie Baker’s vaccine mandate until the matter can be collectively bargained. The judge said the union failed to show the mandate would irreparably harm its members or that a delay would serve the public interest. (WBUR)

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts will pay bonuses to physicians who close gaps in the care of people of color. (Boston Globe) 

WASHINGTON/NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

US Rep. Jim McGovern, who chairs the Rules Committee, said he will seek a postponement of debate on an infrastructure bill if there is no agreement on a reconciliation bill, which includes spending on climate change, medical leave, and child care. (Telegram & Gazette)

ELECTIONS

Former CommonWealth reporter Gabrielle Gurley weighs in with a look at Boston’s mayoral final for the American Prospect. 

A review of the 2020 presidential results in Arizona’s largest county ordered and financed by Republicans shows Joe Biden gaining 99 additional votes and Donald Trump with 261 fewer votes than the certified tally. (New York Times) 

EDUCATION

The Worcester school committee votes to require school staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19. (Telegram & Gazette)

Massachusetts schools report 2,236 students and 318 staff with COVID-19 last week, or about 0.24 percent of students in school. (MassLive)

Boston University says it will divest its investment holdings in fossil fuel enterprises. (Boston Globe) 

ARTS/CULTURE

Kristy Edmunds, the executive artistic director of the UCLA Center for the Art of Performance,  is hired as director of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. (WBUR)

TRANSPORTATION

The driver of a Green Line trolley involved in a July collision that caused dozens of injuries is facing multiple criminal charges related to the incident. (Boston Globe) 

Delta urges other airlines to join with it to create a national no-fly list of problematic passengers. (New York Times)

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/COURTS

Protesters demand that the Plymouth County sheriff end an agreement through which the county jail holds prisoners on federal immigration violations. (Patriot Ledger)

Gov. Charlie Baker says state officials are reviewing the problems at the Springfield courthouse and developing ways to make sure it is safe, but building a new courthouse could be years away. (MassLive)