Representative Jim McGovern is spearheading an effort to ensure that free school meals are available for the students who need them now and well into the future. 

McGovern is the sponsor of two bills introduced in the House this month that aim to close the federal funding gap between what it costs schools to make the free meals and what the government reimburses them. 

Both pieces of legislation, including the Level Up Nutrition for Children in Every School or LUNCHES Act and a revamped Healthy Breakfasts Help Kids Learn Act, seek federal funding increases of .49 cents per lunch and .06 cents per breakfast.

McGovern tells Spectrum News 1 that a few cents may not sound like much of an increase, but it’s enough to keep the programs going while also allowing schools to invest in initiatives like buying locally and purchasing healthier food options for students. 

“The USDA found the consumer price index for all foods rose by 3.9% in 2021, leaving our schools even more strapped to serve nutritious meals to our children,” McGovern said during a press conference announcing his proposals in Orange County last week. 

In 2016, the federal free school lunch program alone fed over 30 million children and McGovern says demand for the meals has soared because of the pandemic.

Last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced all students attending public schools for the 2021-2022 school year would qualify for free meals, regardless of their families’ financial situation.

To compensate, the agency increased the reimbursement rate by .25 cents a meal but the increase is only temporary and still doesn’t cover the nearly .50 cent gap between what it costs to make a free meal and what schools get. The School Nutrition Association is among those backing both of McGovern’s bills. 

“During the pandemic, it’s been especially problematic with supply chain disruptions that have jacked up costs and labor shortages. And those labor shortages are here to stay. So if we want schools to invest in more staff to be able to freshly prepare student meals, and invest in high quality ingredients for school menus, we need to provide adequate funding,” said Diane Pratt-Heavner, the director of media relations st the School Nutrition Association.

Advocates also say when the pandemic ends, they believe the need for increased federal funding for free school meals will continue and that they expect to see more families in need of help as other COVID benefit programs expire. 

“We do expect to see what is known as the cliff effect. And it could be pretty dramatic. And what that means is that once people lose any of those additional benefits that we’ve talked about, it can be a pretty steep drop off,” said Jean McMurray, the Chief Executive Officer at the Worcester County Food Bank. 

Besides the legislation, McGovern said he’d like to see the Biden Administration convene a White House Conference on Hunger to address food insecurity issues in America. The last one was over 50 years ago.