Mesa Sen. Rich Crandall says his legislation to let Arizona school districts opt out of the federal program that provides free and reduced-price lunches to needy students only changes one word in the current state law.
But that one word - from "shall" to "may" - has prompted a barrage of complaints and criticism from those who believe the change will lead to inequity among schools and hungry children.
"It is an issue that a lot of teachers are concerned about because they know how important lunch is to a segment of our kids" and how that impacts instruction, said Doug Kilgore, spokesman for the Arizona Education Association. "They are concerned some kids might not get those lunches."
The bill, SB 1061, made headlines this week when it passed the Senate Education Committee 6-1. It next goes before the Senate Rules Committee and then on to the entire Senate.
Arizona lawmakers passed legislation in 2006 that requires that public elementary, middle and junior high schools in school districts participate in the National School Lunch Program. High schools and public charter schools are not required to do the same.
The program provides meals to students from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the poverty level. Reduced-price meals are available for students who come from families with incomes between 130 and 185 percent of the poverty level. To participate, schools must meet USDA requirements with their lunch menus.
Proposed changes to those requirements prompted Crandall to draw up the bill, he told the Tribune. The act that authorizes the program is up for renewal in Washington, D.C. In a note to fellow state lawmakers earlier this week, Crandall said his proposed tweak to state law would allow districts to opt out of participating if they feel the more stringent program would be financially detrimental to them.
"We know there are several new federal rules coming out on October 1, 2012 and the way the statute is written now, district K-8 grades are required to comply 100 percent with whatever the feds mandate. They have no recourse or options," Crandall wrote. "We are giving local control back and eliminating mandates at the same time. This is why the bill was supported by the Arizona School Boards Association. No one will be going off of the National School Lunch Program unless the new federal rules cause them to lose their shirt financially and they opt for a different way to feed children."
But the possibility that districts could opt out has prompted a lot of calls and e-mails from teachers to the AEA.
"Before there was a requirement to provide school lunch there were some that provided it and some that didn't. It created some inequities that were damaging to schools," Kilgore said. "We're not sure why this is needed. We've not been convinced as to why this is needed."
Janice Palmer of the Arizona School Boards Association said the issue here is to provide districts with options.
"The intention behind this is not for kids not to be fed. It's to provide districts with the flexibility to do the same thing - to feed kids that may cost less," she said. "I think the vast majority of the school districts may remain in the federal program, but there may be opportunity where a local school district can do it more efficiently, where a child will be well fed and nourished to be educated."
As of March 2011, Arizona had 529,117 children eligible to receive a free meal and 69,617 children eligible to receive a reduced-price meal, according to the state Department of Education.
A large percentage of East Valley students qualify for the program, including 73 percent of students in the Tempe Elementary School District, 58 percent of students in the Mesa Unified School District, 33 percent of students in the Chandler Unified School District and 27 percent of the Gilbert Unified School District.
Catherine Giza, director of the food and nutrition program for the Chandler district, said if the bill passes, she believes Chandler will continue to participate in the federal program.
"Over the years the department has adapted to changing regulations and anticipates the newest regulations will not have a significant impact. The department will continue to be innovative in how we provide services to the families of Chandler," she wrote in an email.
In fact, though it's not required, Chandler's high schools joined the program in the last two years because of the high number of students qualifying. The district serves more than 20,000 meals a day as part of the program.
"The (National School Lunch Program) NSLP affords us the opportunity to receive grant funding, participate in the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Fuel Up to Play 60 and other partnerships," she said.
The Mesa district on average serves 30,800 free- or reduced-price lunches daily, said Loretta Zullo, the district's director of food services.
"We run a solvent meal program. Between labor costs and overhead, we're pretty close to breaking even with the entire meal program, free or reduced," she said.
Districts tally the free- or reduced-price lunches they serve then file that figure to receive reimbursement from the federal government.
Zullo said she is "anxiously" awaiting the final approved changes to the program, which would increase the required number of fruits, vegetables and whole grain products served, as well as change how districts can calculate how much they charge.
Under the first proposals put out, Zullo said it could have resulted in a lot of increased cost for the district, but she anticipated Mesa could weather it.
"It's a complicated formula," she said of the proposed way districts must charge for meals. "Districts may have to supplement (meal prices) from the general fund. Districts are not going to want to do that. They do not have the money to do that."
Now, the Mesa district - and others - use proceeds from ala cart food purchases and catering to keep meal prices low, she said.
Crandall said he became aware of the proposed federal changes through the company he operates with his family, CN Resource. The company's primary role is to audit school lunch programs, he said. It also owns one of the only USDA-approved menu writing programs. That takes up about 2 percent of his business, he said.
"I happen to be an expert at this topic. That's why I see the potential of harm to districts where others don't," he told the Tribune.
There has been some criticism that Crandall would benefit from the changes.
"If I were looking for a benefit, I would never run a bill to allow people to opt out of the school lunch program," he said.
His company does not currently do any auditing in Arizona, he said.
• Contact writer: (480) 898-6549 or mreese@evtrib.com
Contact writer: (480) 898-6549 or mreese@evtrib.com
Kwaayesnama posted at 9:51 am on Mon, Jan 23, 2012.
That is appalling! First they punish the unemployed parents now they are going after hungry children. What is so sad so many of these people call themselves Christians. What would Jesus say? [sad]
Leon Ceniceros posted at 12:36 pm on Sun, Jan 22, 2012.
The Liberals, the Progressives, the Socialists, the Communists, the Anarchists, the Anti-Capitalists...oh and don't forget your garden-variety Democrat....want to turn America into nothing but a ....WELFARE STATE.
No job, no education = NO PROBLEM = Obama-Care will take care of all of your Medical and Hospital Bills.
WIC will pay for your food bills.
HUD and Section-8 will take care of all of your Housing and Utility (hey, poor people need cable too you know) Bills.
Food Banks and Charities help fill the Larder so that the poor can have "cash money" for beer, wine, whiskey, cigarettes and pretty soon....MARIJUANA.
The Left-Wing Public School administraters and teachers will insure that these poor women don't have to wake up before noon to feed their kids breakfast or lunch (let the "Village" take care of the kids).
If a 14-15-16yr old girl has a kid every 5 years..she can scam these "social assistance programs" for the rest of her life.........NEVER HAVING TO DO......ONE DAY OF WORK ! ! !
Forget the fact that America is now the .......LARGEST DEBTOR NATION IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD......$15 TRILLION DOLLARS AND WILL BE $20 TRILLION IN BY THE TIME...........OBAMA IS KICKED OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE.
downtownresident posted at 7:23 am on Sun, Jan 22, 2012.
Congratulations, TeaPartyPatriot,
You've perfectly described the Mormon cult for us.
Have tons-o-kids and game the system. Don't tell me it isn't true.
TeaPartyPatriot posted at 7:26 am on Sat, Jan 21, 2012.
You ever wonder why people least able to feed their own children have the most children? You ever wonder why you have to pass a test to legally drive a vehicle but any moron can have all the children they want at taxpayers expense? You ever wonder why they all grow up to become liberals? Liberals who advocate for free lunches because they will benefit directly. There is a direct correlation between poverty, low IQ, and liberalism.
Maybe we need to group these needy children in one school so we can better serve their special needs. Liberals will then know where to take their spare food to feed them. Oh. You want me to feed them? I work hard to keep my family fed. I'm supposed to take food out of my children's mouths to feed other people's children that can't even control their breeding? I don't think so.
jezzabella posted at 9:11 am on Fri, Jan 20, 2012.
Leon: If I haven't told you this before, you are THE most pathetic excuse for a man.
soricobob posted at 4:48 am on Fri, Jan 20, 2012.
How about the summer food service program, which provides meals to kids not in school? What about the commodities program, which allows participating districts (LEAs) to receive/purchase at reduced cost certain surplus (e.g. cheese, canned fruit, etc.)? Just like unemployment, highways, and everything else, we all complain about "government inference", but when we want to do away with it, it bites us to cut the purse strings.
downtownresident posted at 6:43 pm on Thu, Jan 19, 2012.
Let's see. There's money to be made here, somewhere. Or Rich wouldn't want to dilute the quality requirements of the food our kids eat?
It will come at the expense of the children of Arizona parents who aren't rich or Mormon.
Choice my foot. Another way to redirect funding I'd say.
jezzabella posted at 6:37 pm on Thu, Jan 19, 2012.
What a stinking pile. It must make him feel like a REAL MAN to try and take food away from hungry children. Why do we have over 500,000 children in AZ who are poor enough to qualify for free lunch? It is an indictment of the complete failure of the sleazy right wing politicians who have a choke hold on us.