If school meal programs are slashed, Memphis would be hit hardest in TN | Education Notebook
- Proposed cuts to school meal programs could impact a majority of Memphis-Shelby County Schools students.
- The proposal would raise the eligibility requirement for the USDA’s Community Eligibility Program from 25% to 60%.
- A local teacher is a finalist in a national contest with a grand prize including a dream vacation and free smoothies.
If Congress goes through with a proposal to tighten meal program funding for public schools, the majority of Memphis public school children could be impacted.
According to a study by the Food Research & Action Center and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Memphis-Shelby County Schools students will be impacted the hardest in Tennessee.
House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington, a Republican from Texas, proposed some $12 billion in cuts to school meal programs. The cuts, if passed through Congress, would endanger the USDA’s Community Eligibility Program, which gives federal reimbursement to schools so they can serve school meals at no cost to all students.
The proposal from the Texas Congressman would raise the eligibility requirement for schools to participate from 25% Identified Student Percentage to 60%. Identified Student Percentage is calculated by taking the number of students who are already eligible for free and reduced lunch and dividing it by the total student population for the school.
The Community Eligibility Program is an extension to free and reduced lunch programs as it provides free school meals for students enrolled in all schools, and not limited only to those who qualify.
According to the USDA, the most recent changes to eligibility came under the Biden administration, which lowered the identified student percentage from 40% to 25% in 2023.
Tennessee, as a whole, would have over 500 schools impacted if the eligibility is raised. The majority of the students impacted in Tennessee are located in Memphis and Shelby County.
MSCS, according to Food Research & Action Center and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ data, has 69,701 students who could be impacted if the eligibility percentage is increased.
MSCS has an annual enrollment of just over 100,000 students, meaning if the CEP program is reduced by Arrington’s proposal, the majority of students will be impacted.
Out of the 222 schools MSCS operates, which includes both public and charter schools, 122 schools will be impacted by the cuts.
In the suburbs, Millington Municipal Schools would also be impacted, with 2,444 students identified by the research completed by the Food Research & Action Center and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities as being potentially impacted.
Three of Millington’s schools would be impacted by the program, affecting almost the entire student body of about 2,600.
Memphis Rise Academy, a charter school, would have 768 students impacted.
Treadwell Elementary educator a finalist in national teacher contest
Ben Wilkins, a 4th- and 5th-grade teacher at Treadwell Elementary, was selected as a top 20 finalist in the Tropical Smoothie Cafe “Sunshine for Teachers” contest.
The contest’s grand prize includes a $10,000 “dream vacation” giveaway, free smoothies at Tropical Smoothie Cafe for a year and a smoothie party for the winning school.
The contest looks to celebrate and reward teachers who have made a positive impact in their school community, go above and beyond to inspire others and embody joy in all they do.
Wilkins said in his candidate post that he has tried to build joy at recess.
“Using recess as an opportunity to teach students important life values like kindness, self-control, and collaboration through play has made such a positive impact in our classroom and my experience as a teacher. This year, we’ve learned how to play games like four square, kickball, and futsal,” Wilkins said.
Wilkins said he is most proud of the relationships he has built with his students and their families. He said “too often” a gap exists between home and school life and he has worked to change that within his classroom by inviting families into classroom activities like guest readers and having “family field trips” on the weekends at free events.
“Building community intentionally as a teacher is hard work because it’s not usually what we’re measured by or explicitly asked to do in our daily jobs, but it’s the most rewarding work and I think essential to any academic success I have in the classroom,” Wilkins said. “As much joy as I get in watching students grow academically or correctly answer a math question they got wrong before, the most joy I get out of teaching is in seeing and helping students become better, healthier versions of themselves, and creating a life that balances and values school, family, fun, and community involvement.”
The voting period runs till May 9, and all eligible voters can cast one vote per day. To view Wilkins’ candidate page, visit www.sunshineforteachers.com.
This article was originally published by Memphis Commercial Appeal.