I’M SOLEDAD O’BRIEN. WELCOME TO A MATTER OF FACT. FEEDING AMERICA’S CHILDREN WHILE THEY’RE AT SCHOOL IS A GROWING PROBLEM. WHEN THE PANDEMIC BEGAN IN 2020, FEDERAL LAWMAKERS PAID FOR FREE LUNCH FOR EVERY PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT. ABOUT 50 MILLION KIDS. THERE WAS NO INCOME REQUIREMENT. A BIG HELP FOR PARENTS FACING LAYOFFS OR ILLNESS OR PAY CUTS. CONGRESS ENDED THE FREE LUNCH FOR ALL PROGRAM LAST YEAR AND UNPAID SCHOOL LUNCH DEBT RETURN, AND THAT DEBT CAN START IN KINDERGARTEN AND FOLLOW A CHILD ALL THE WAY TO GRADUATION, SOMETIMES HINDERING A CHILD’S SCHOOL EXPERIENCE BY BARRING THEM FROM FIELD TRIPS OR PROM OR EVEN WALKING AT GRADUATION. SO FAR, ONLY A HANDFUL OF STATES HAVE PASSED LEGISLATION TO GIVE STUDENTS UNIVERSAL FREE MEALS. OUR CORRESPONDENT LAURA CHAVEZ WENT TO PENNSYLVANIA TO TALK TO TEACHERS, CAFETERIA EMPLOYEES AND FAMILIES WHO ARE FIGHTING FOR KIDS TO EAT FOR FREE. WE HAVE FOUND PIZZA AND HEATED ADS TODAY WHEN KIDS POUR INTO THE CAFETERIA AT OAK PARK ELEMENTARY AND HATFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA JILLIAN BRANDIS KNOWS THE TIME THEY SPEND HERE MATTERS. ALL DAY LONG, THEIR STUDY BOOKS, THEY’RE WORKING HARD IN THEIR COMPUTERS, AND THEN THEY GET TO COME HERE AND HAVE A BREAK AND ENJOY SOME FOOD AND HAVE THAT SOCIALIZING. I THINK THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE IS FOOD. IF KIDS NEED FOOD, THE KIDS NEED FOOD BEFORE THEY LEARN. AND BEFORE THEY’RE READY TO LEARN. JONATHAN WINKLE IS OAK PARK’S PRINCIPALS AND AN ADVOCATE FOR MAKING SURE SCHOOL MEAL DEBT DOESN’T KEEP A CHILD FROM EATING. WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THEIR HOME ENVIRONMENT IS. SO IT’S VERY IMPORTANT AT THIS ONE MOMENT OF THE DAY WHERE THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO HAVE A WARM HOME COOKED MEAL HERE IN OUR CAFETERIA. EVERY KID IN HIS SCHOOL GETS FREE LUNCH, EVEN IF THEY CAN’T PAY. THEY EAT THANKS TO A FUND SET UP BY THE STAFF. BUT OTHER SCHOOLS ARE STRUGGLING TO OFFSET THE IMPACT OF SCHOOL MEAL DEBT. FOR SOME OF THE KIDS, THIS IS THE REAL ANXIOUS PART. ONCE THEY TURN THIS CORNER AND GET TO THE POINT OF SALE SYSTEM OF DO THEY HAVE A BALANCE ON THEIR ACCOUNT OR NOT, OR ARE THEY GOING TO HAVE TO GO DUMP THEIR TRAY? VITO MALACARI IS A TEACHER AT A SCHOOL IN NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA. DURING THE PANDEMIC TO TAKE THIS A STEP BACK. WE HAD A UNIVERSAL BREAKFAST AND LUNCH PROGRAM THAT STUDENTS DIDN’T HAVE TO PAY FOR BREAKFAST. THEY DIDN’T HAVE TO PAY FOR LUNCH. DURING THAT TIME, WE SAW STUDENT ENGAGEMENT INCREASE. WE SAW ATTENDANCE INCREASE. AND THEN AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR, THOSE PROGRAMS DISAPPEARED. NOW, MALACARI SAYS SOME KIDS AREN’T EATING BECAUSE THEY CAN’T PAY. A LOT OF KIDS MIGHT FEEL SHAME ABOUT HOLDING MEAL DEBT AND SOME KIDS MIGHT SAY THEY NEED TO GO TO GUIDANCE OR ANOTHER TEACHER’S CLASSROOM TO FINISH UP A PROJECT BECAUSE THEN THEY’RE NOT HAVING TO HAVE AN EMPTY SPACE IN FRONT OF THEM. AND HE SAYS KIDS ARE PAYING A HEFTY PRICE FOR THEIR HUNGER. HUNGRY KIDS DON’T LEARN. THEY DON’T SIT STILL. THEY’RE MORE IRRITABLE, THEY’RE LESS LIKELY TO LEARN, AND THEY CAN’T CONCENTRATE. THE THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS EACH YEAR FALL THROUGH THESE CRACKS, AND IT CREATES A CYCLE OF POVERTY, CREATES A CYCLE OF DEBT THAT THESE STUDENTS EXPERIENCE, A CYCLE OF TRAUMA. MANY FAMILIES THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC HAD COME TO RELY ON THE BENEFIT OF FREE SCHOOL BREAKFAST AND LUNCH. AND IT CAN JUST BE VERY DIFFICULT RIGHT NOW GIVEN HIGH FOOD AND FUEL COSTS TO COVER THE EXPENSE OF A SCHOOL MEAL. DIANE PRATT-HEAVNER IS THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION. OUR 2023 TRENDS SURVEY SURVEYED OVER 1200 SCHOOL MEAL PROGRAM DIRECTORS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. AMONG THOSE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE TO CHARGE FOR MEALS, 96% REPORTED THAT THEIR CHALLENGE BY UNPAID MEAL DEBT. CONGRESS RECOGNIZING THESE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES FOR SCHOOL MEAL PROGRAMS, OFFERED SCHOOLS AN ADDITIONAL $0.40 PER LUNCH AND $0.15 FOR BREAKFAST THIS SCHOOL YEAR. UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE FUNDS EXPIRE ON JUNE 30TH, AND WE HAVE NOT SEEN FOOD PRICES BUDGE. MEAL PRICES VARY BASED ON INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BUT ON AVERAGE, A SCHOOL LUNCH COSTS ABOUT $3 AND BREAKFAST COSTS ABOUT A DOLLAR 75. BUT IF YOU HAVE THREE KIDS IN SCHOOL AT A TIME PAYING THAT PRICE TIMES 180 DAYS OF SCHOOL, THAT REALLY ADDS UP. AND IF THE MEAL DEBT GOES UNPAID, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS TO PAY AND THAT COMES OUT OF EDUCATION FUNDS JUST COME BACK INTO THE DOOR. JONATHAN WINKLE KNOWS OTHER PRINCIPALS AND DISTRICTS ARE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO MAKE ENDS MEET. HE’S GRATEFUL FOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS HIS EMPLOYEES MAKE TO FEED THEIR STUDENTS. DENY A CHILD A MEAL? NO, NOT EVEN FOR A SECOND. I FEED PEOPLE. IT’S WHAT I DO. IT’S WHAT I LOVE TO DO. WE TAKE GREAT STRIDES HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL STUDENTS, WHEN THEY COME INTO THE CAFETERIA, KNOW THAT THEY’RE IN A SAFE SPACE. AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THEY KNOW THEY’RE GOING TO BE FED AND THEY KNOW THAT ANY NEEDS THEY HAVE ARE GOING TO BE MET. ISN’T IT KIND OF UNFAIR FOR LIKE THE PARENTS THAT PACK A LUNCH? YOU KNOW, THEY’RE TAKING CARE OF THE COSTS ON THEIR END AFFAIRS, NOT ALWAYS EQUAL. AND SO WE TREAT ALL STUDENTS WHAT THEY NEED. AND SOME STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, THEY GET A LITTLE BIT MORE SUPPORT. SUPPORT, HE THINKS, PUTS STUDENTS ON A MORE LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR LEARNING. IT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE TO PROVIDE A HEALTHY SCHOOL MEAL TO A STUDENT JUST LIKE WE PROVIDE A RIDE TO SCHOOL AND TEXTBOOKS AND LAPTOPS TO LEARN ON THE STUDENTS HOURS WHEN THEY COME INTO THE DOOR. THEY ARE O