THOUSANDS OF MICHIGAN students rely on free school meals. A Republican-backed proposal in Congress could cut the number eligible for these meals. (Anthony Lanzilote for Chalkbeat)

Thousands of Michigan children could lose free meals under proposed cuts by congressional Republicans that would make it more difficult for schools to provide universal free meals, according to state officials.

GOP lawmakers want to change an existing federal program that makes subsidized meal programs more efficient and accessible by allowing schools in impoverished communities to qualify to offer free meals to all students, as opposed to independently verifying each student’s family income.

Currently, schools must show 25% of their students are enrolled in other aid programs such as the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to qualify for community eligibility. House Republicans want to raise the requirement to 60% of students.

Republicans say they want to make the change to ensure only the neediest students get free school meals. The cuts to the program were raised by the House Budget Committee Chair U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington last month.

The proposals would save $12 billion over a decade, according to a list circulated by Arrington. An official federal budget has not been proposed yet.

The nearly 600,000 Michigan students who currently qualify through the current federal community eligibility program could lose access to free school meals, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

The actual number of students who would lose free school meals would likely be lower because some schools would still qualify for community eligibility under the proposed new guidance. Some students also qualify for other aid programs.

Over the past few years, Michigan has provided free school meals to all students, allocating around $200 million in state funds annually to bridge the gap in federal programs. Proposed legislation to make universal free school meals permanent in the state failed to move forward.

Overall, more than 850,000 Michigan children rely on free public school lunches and more than 474,000 eat breakfast in school.

If the proposed federal cuts were to become law, many students in the state would be negatively impacted, officials from the MDE said Tuesday during a presentation to the State Board of Education. It could also lead to schools serving lower quality, less nutritious meals to students due to budget constraints.

“The health of our Michigan students is at risk,” said Diane Golzynski, deputy superintendent for business, health, and library services for the MDE, during the board meeting.

Additionally, Republicans want to change federal regulations to allow local schools just 10 days after they receive a completed application to determine if a family is eligible for free or reduced meals.

The law currently only requires schools to get income verification for 3% of the applications it receives. The proposed changes would make schools verify the incomes of all families who apply.

“Imagine how a district would be able to take on this monumental task in that very short, federally regulated time frame of 10 days,” said Deanne Kelleher, director of the MDE’s Office of Health and Nutrition Services, during the board meeting.

There is also concern families may not apply if they are asked to provide personal information every school year, given data security concerns, she added.

Fewer families applying for free meals will negatively affect the amount of federal Title I and state at-risk funding schools receive, Kelleher said.

Proposed plans would also end summer feeding programs, which provide food for students and families. In 2024, the programs helped feed 3.9 million Michigan households.

“This proposal could continue to contribute to the rise in food insecurity for households with children,” said Kelleher.

One in six Michigan children face food insecurity, according to the nonprofit Feeding America.

Dawn Pully, food service director for Bendle Public Schools, where 88% of students are from impoverished families, said during the meeting the only meals some children eat are provided by their schools.

“I don’t even want to think about telling our students that they have to pay or that they can’t eat because they owe money,” she said.

Making the federal program more restrictive will have two major consequences, Pulley said.

“Parents, for sure, will not follow the correct steps to be approved, which will punish the student,” she said.

School nutrition staff also will be forced to spend many more hours completing paperwork, taking away from time they spend focusing on creating healthy menu options for students.

Universal free school meals can boost attendance, increase test scores, and decrease suspensions, research shows.

Richard Browder, director of student nutrition for Brighton Public Schools, said during the meeting he’s seen the positive impact universal free school meals programs have had on students.

“I’ve watched students who used to come in late now arrive early for breakfast every single morning,” he said. “I’ve seen high schoolers who used to skip lunch because they didn’t want to be singled out for free meals now eating with their peers with pride, because every student gets the same meal, no stigma attached.”

Michigan students also were impacted by the abrupt cut of $30 million in grants to programs that helped schools buy food from local farms.

Additionally, 118 truckloads of food were canceled for a federal food assistance program the MDE administers, said Golzynski.

Tiffany Tilley, a member of the board, said during the meeting the cuts and the proposed changes to the federal meal program are “an absolute travesty.”

Board President Pamela Pugh said the cuts are “cruel” and “callous.”

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This story was printed by Michigan Advance, which is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit. For more, go to https://michiganadvance.com. It originally was published by Chalkbeat, a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.