California Passes Law Ending ‘Meal Shaming’ In Schools

Districts typically charge a fixed price for meals for students from families who don’t qualify for federal meal subsidies. Children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the poverty level are eligible for free school meals through the federal Free and Reduced Price Meal program, according to the School Nutrition Association. Those with incomes between 130 percent and 185 percent of the poverty level are eligible for reduced price meals. For the 2017-18 school year, 130 percent of the poverty level is $31,960 for a family of four and 185 percent is $45,510.

A survey by the Western Center on Law and Poverty, which supported Hertzberg’s bill, found that many districts didn’t post their policies for students whose families are in arrears in paying for the meals. Of those that did, several dozen served less than a fully nutritional meal to those children. Torrance Unified, for example, provides “a snack consisting of crackers, a milk and fruit/veggies when a middle or high school student reaches zero balance.” For elementary students, they are allowed to overspend by $12. These policies only apply to students whose families don’t qualify for federal meal subsidies.