Poor kids get free or reduced cost lunches in all 50 states, thanks to the National School Lunch Program. The income threshold is adjusted annually to account for changes to the CPI. Tens of millions of kids participate in this program every year.
California's innovation is giving free food to middle class kids then taking credit for feeding the poor kids.
There are lots of districts here in Missouri that have decided to make lunches (and breakfasts!) free for everyone in elementary and junior high school because the percentage of low-income families is high enough that that ends up being cheaper than wasting resources on means testing and collections. Regardless of how wealthy her parents are (or how difficult it is for her parents to fill out forms), you can't just not provide lunch to e.g. a 7yo who lost her money. Arguing with children about money doesn't contribute to the educational mission.
> you can't just not provide lunch to e.g. a 7yo who lost her money.
Right, and they don't. I forgot my lunch money frequently as a kid. The school always fed me anyway, after taking down my name to have a chat with my parents (to inquire if I needed to be signed up for free lunches, and to collect the debt since my parents could easily afford it.) They won't let you skip lunch.
Sure, but you're describing a complication that doesn't exist if the district just feeds everybody. I'm not saying that this is always the right decision for a particular district, just that many districts outside California have made it.
I'm not saying that feeding everybody is a bad idea. I support it actually. I'm saying that kids aren't going hungry at school in states other than California. If California solved any problem, it was only reducing the administrative costs of figuring out who needs free lunches. But everybody would be getting fed anyway, one way or the other.
I'm saying that kids aren't going hungry at school in states other than California.
This assumes a great deal about the attitudes and competences of thousands of local administrations across a nation notable for its cruelty and incompetence. There certainly are public school boards who want poor kids to suffer, and there certainly are public school kitchens that can't provide every nutritious meal it is their duty to provide.
My district in Oregon does the same thing. Free lunch is offered to everyone with no means testing. The more well off kids still choose to bring their own lunches most days. Other days lunchroom trades are carried out between the school offerings and food from home but no child goes hungry and the program costs the same as when they had to pay people to deal with paperwork and bookkeeping.
