31-03-2025
SC bill could expand students' access to free school lunch
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) – A bill in the state house is looking to give low-income students free school breakfast and lunches.
Currently in South Carolina, students living in poverty can access free or reduced meals at school.
A bill could make this provision a permanent state law.
'It's kind of a problem that's sort of already been solved,' Sen. Greg Hembree (R – Horry). It's really a question of it's in proviso we can keep it right there and let it ride, but quite honestly — I just don't like that practice. I think that's not a good way to legislate, and I think we've already got system that is working really well.'
The bipartisan bill said students who qualify for the National School Lunch Program can get free meals.
Some criteria needed to qualify as a student in poverty include being eligible for Medicaid benefits, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits or being homeless, in foster care or transient.
Sen. Hembree said many parents were not even aware that their child qualified for the program.
'You had all these children that for whatever reason they qualify, but their parents didn't apply for free lunch,' Sen. Humbree continued. 'They just didn't get on the list for whatever reason, and it literally doubled the number of districts and schools that were eligible.'
School districts can participate in the Community Eligibility Provision known as more than 40% of students in a school district qualify, then the entire district could receive free school lunch.
'The school lunch provision has been in the state budget for the last two years. Now they've seen that it can work, that it has not caused disruptions to district operations or caused an unfunded mandate on districts,' explained Patrick Kelly with the Palmetto State Teacher's Association.
An amendment made last week said if the CEP is discontinued by federal action, then the requirement to participate in the program is suspended.
'If the federal program went away, the state doesn't have the funding to backstop what the federal government is currently spending money on,' Kelly said.
Kelly said this is a 'commonsense amendment' and will hopefully not impact the program, but it makes sense that lawmakers would be cautious.
This program is funded by the Federal Department of Agriculture and does not use any state dollars.
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