Controlling Board approves $65 million to fund school meal reimbursements
This comes as one lawmaker calls for all school lunches to be free of charge.
TOLEDO, Ohio — Last week, the Controlling Board of the Ohio Office of Budget and Management approved $65 million to fund school meal reimbursements through the Ohio Department of Education. It’s an investment that will cover claims for meals served to schools through the National School Lunch program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
This afternoon, I talked with State Representative Elgin Rogers (D-Toledo), who says these reimbursements are important to ensuring students’ success in the classroom by keeping them focused on the content — not their empty stomach.
He says he’s had conversations with Woodmore Local Schools in Elmore and other school districts across the state, to figure out ways to increase students’ access to school meals, in spite of their financial situation, explaining these reimbursements only work when parents fill out the form for their child to receive free meals, which the district must keep track of, if the student is eligible.
“These students, ultimately, will be contributors to our society, so we want to make sure that they have the nutrition and they have the support and the resources to be successful,” said State Rep. Elgin Rogers, a Toledo Democrat.
Rogers hopes that in the future, lawmakers will consider free meals for all Ohio students, despite the fact it may not be a popular concept in Columbus now.
