There have been cutbacks in school food budgets in schools across the country in recent years, and Frederick High School could be among those affected. These cutbacks are in an effort to slow down government spending, and they are affecting programs that provide students with food.
The Agriculture Department has taken down two programs that gave the schools money to buy food from local farm ranchers, which puts a stop to more than $1 billion in federal spending.
Around $660 million that schools rely on to purchase food has been cancelled. Maura Healey, the Governor of Massachusetts stated that “Donald Trump and Elon Musk have declared that feeding children and supporting local farmers are no longer ‘priorities’’.
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency found no need for the funding money for schools food supply, which is creating lots of concern about students and schools.
For the majority of students, the breakfast they get in school is an important part of their daily routine. Not only is breakfast and lunch a chance to eat nutritious food but also a way of ensuring that students get the right energy to focus on their studies.
The meals are especially important for students who get inadequate food in their households, and many schools depend on funding aid from the government to provide these meals to students.
These cuts could end up leaving schools without enough money to provide lunches to the students. This could create issues like smaller meals and higher prices of food for students to pay. For some students, this could lead to them going hungry in school hours, which could lead to not being able to focus in class.
Maelynn Cramer says “If they cut school lunch budgets, it could impact schools because it could affect the nutrition quality because schools may be forced to offer lower quality meals which could be less nutritious and might not meet student’s dietary needs. Also along with that a limited budget could mean fewer meal options.”
One of the concerns parents and students have is that the budget cuts might affect the health of the food being served. Schools have programs through which they are able to provide healthier foods for students, but if there is not enough money for these programs, they might be compelled to lower the health of the food. This might mean less nutritious meals, and this would have an effect on students’ general wellbeing and health.
For a large school like Frederick High, this could be a problem. If money for food diminishes, the school will need to find other ways to feed the children, like having more fundraisers or donations. That is not easy to accomplish, and it might not be enough to give all of the essentials to the students.
In the end, cuts in funding for food can lead to hungry students, less healthy meals, and further stress on students and staff. It is important to take note of how the budget cuts can affect schools like Frederick High and how to make sure that students will still be able to access the meals they need to succeed in school.
