In the most recent session, Governor Joe Lombardo vetoed a $43-million-dollar extension of the pandemic-era universal free school meals program. However, as students return to class this week, Governor Lombardo wrote an open letter to parents explaining how families in need can access free school meals.

Office of the Governor Letter (August 21, 2024):

We spoke to the Governor's spokesperson, Elizabeth Ray.

"Governor Lombardo vetoed school meals because they're already widespread provisions to ensure that students in need have meals in Nevada. So, currently, 87 percent of schools offer automatic free school meals for all of their students, regardless of income; that encompasses 87 percent of students across the state," said Governor Joe Lombardo Spokesperson Elizabeth Ray.

Additionally, more than 80% of K-12 students attend schools that qualify for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) designation, which means they do not have to fill out applications. Students whose families participate in any form of federal assistance also automatically qualify. Nevertheless, the 20% of students who do not attend schools that qualify for the CEP program will have to fill out an application if they need assistance. According to Washoe County Assemblywoman and teacher Selena La Rue Hatch, there is concern that some children might not receive the help they need due to neglectful parents.

"As much as we want to believe that every parent will fill out the free and reduced lunch form or seek out the help that they need. As a teacher I know for a fact that doesn't happen. Sometimes, there are parents who are too proud to accept government aid or fill out the form. Many times, there are parents who are abusive and neglectful, and so they may have some of that money available, but they're not going to spend it on their kids, or they're not going to take the time to fill out the form," said (D-Reno) Assemblywoman Selena La Rue Hatch.

Assemblywoman La Rue Hatch also highlighted that the current CEP system could impose additional costs on schools, as the Federal government only reimburses for a certain percentage of qualifying students, leaving the school to cover the remaining costs.

"The thing that the Governor is not sharing is that the Federal government only reimburses for a certain percentage of those students, and then the school is required to pick up the rest of that cost, so essentially what we've done, is we've now added an additional cost for every school and every district that is qualifying for CEP," said Assemblywoman La Rue Hatch.

The Governor's office mentioned that studies have shown up to 73% of food provided through school lunch programs can end up in the trash. By not extending the federal waiver program, the state aims to reduce food waste and allocate funding to families and students in demonstrated need. Assemblywoman La Rue Hatch stated that legislative Democrats plan to reintroduce similar legislation in the 2025 session and is urging her Republican colleagues to support the bill.

8/27/2024 10:52 UPDATE

The Nevada Independent has fact-checked this claim and found that the 73% figure refers to a specific subcategory of vegetable waste found in one of several studies cited in a more extensive analysis. The researchers cautioned against interpreting this individual figure as an average of all school meal waste. You can find the article from The Nevada Independent to cite.

The Nevada Independent: Indy Explains: What’s happening with universal free meals for Nevada students?