I feel that school lunch should be free because it can really help the people that need it. School lunch debt is a pervasive problem in the U.S.
Stroudsburg Junior High School freshman Jiles Hernandez believes that having free school lunch is a great idea, “I believe that school lunch having an expense is dumb. It leaves kids who can’t afford food in debt. For example, I’m currently $160 in lunch debt and I can not afford to pay it off.”
More than 30 million students can’t afford their school meals, according to the Education Data Initiative, a research team that collects data and statistics regarding the U.S. education system, and 68.8% of surveyed schools have students with unpaid meal debt.
First, free school lunch makes sure that every student has nutritious meals throughout the day. It helps reduce food insecurity due to some families struggling to afford daily meals.
Free school lunch can create a more safe environment and a better learning experience for students. The students will pay more attention to their school work and worry less about hunger.
Every student being able to eat at school will improve their behavior and work ethic tremendously. If the students aren’t eating at home, and then they can’t eat at school because of the lunch prices, it can mess with them mentally.
Students not having enough money for lunch can lead to them being bullied, so it is also a potential social issue. Eating can also help students maintain a healthy weight which can boost confidence.
A student who is hungry will not be able to learn at the same level of a student who is not. If schools truly care about the well being of their students, school lunches should be free to all students.