Lawmakers, students, and advocates call for statewide expansion of free school meals

Tigard, OR – Yesterday, a coalition of advocates, students, and community leaders, alongside Representative Courtney Neron and House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, gathered at Durham Elementary School to announce a push for expanding the School Meals for All program in Oregon. The initiative aims to ensure every public school in the state offers free breakfast and lunch to any student. Only 65 schools in Oregon do not currently participate. 

The press conference, held during National School Lunch Week, officially kicked off the School Meals for All campaign, setting the stage for legislative action in 2025. Speakers highlighted the vital role school meals play in addressing student hunger, promoting academic success, and fostering equity in education.

“As a classroom teacher for many years, I witnessed the impact of hunger on my students,” said Rep. Courtney Neron, the bill’s chief sponsor, and the Chair of the House Education Committee. “It showed up not only in fatigue and stress, but also I remember high schoolers who chose to skip lunch rather than face the stigma of the free or reduced lunch line. When we remove that stigma and create the opportunity for shared breakfasts and lunches it helps build community and certainly leads to improved academic performance.” 

High school student and youth advocate Sophia G. also spoke, sharing her perspective on the importance of universal school meals. “We didn’t always have free school meals in Hillsboro, and instating them created a calmer environment in my school, that set me and my peers up for success,” she shared. “The accessibility to free school meals acted as a gentle hand on the back giving reassurance that carried me through my school days.”

The initiative comes at a crucial time, with hunger rates in Oregon on the rise. 94% of the state’s public schools currently offer free meals to all students, but tens of thousands of children do not have access to these programs. Expanding the program to cover the remaining schools and investing in meal quality will ensure that any child who needs a nourishing meal will get one.

The Oregon Department of Education projects that the cost of expanding School Meals for All to the remaining Oregon schools is within the current projected state budget for school meals, making it a smart and efficient investment in Oregon’s future. The investment would result in a more than 3:1 match of federal dollars.

“The bottom line is that until we have a statewide hunger free schools program some Oregon kids will fall through the cracks, and that is unacceptable,” added Rep. Ben Bowman, Oregon’s House Majority Leader. “School Meals for All is an investment that we can’t afford to miss.”

As the legislative session approaches, the School Meals for All coalition is calling on lawmakers to support the bill and make universal, quality school meals a priority. Advocates say the time is right to ensure all Oregon students are nourished and ready to learn.