One in every four Maine students does not know where his or her next meal will come from. As a result, a quarter of our student population is at a disadvantage when it comes to their health and academic performance. We must do better.
I saw this firsthand in my 37 years as a public school teacher. I’ve seen smart students with strong academic potential struggle to keep up because they were hungry. The number of students who go without food is intolerable.
Changing this unfortunate reality will require action from schools, lawmakers and parents.
Last session, the Legislature established the Task Force to End Student Hunger in Maine, which I co-chair. Over the course of six months, this task force is bringing together education experts and professionals, as well as policy analysts and economists, to figure out how to make sure Maine kids aren’t going hungry.
Student hunger is a national problem. According to a survey by Share Our Strength, three in five teachers witness student hunger on a daily basis, with nine in 10 stressing the impact that breakfast has on academic achievement. The same survey revealed that hungry students generally perform poorly when compared to students who are well fed.
A recent study by the Maine Education Policy Research Institute affirmed that Maine was no exception. Our students are hungry and it’s degrading their academic performance.
Maine should be taking advantage of the federal Community Eligibility provision, which expands access to school meals while reducing any stigma students feel. Under the provision, any school or district with at least 40 percent of its students qualifying for free and reduced lunch can provide free breakfasts and lunches to all its students. School Administrative District 54 in central Maine has seen promising results since it began participating in the program this academic year. Pilot areas outside of Maine have already enjoyed great success.
The Department of Education’s flawed A-through-F grading system for public schools relies heavily on standardized test scores. The correlation between these letter grades and poverty is immediately clear when you take a look.
Bangor is an outlier in this respect and offers valuable lessons about poverty, hunger and academic performance. Here in Bangor, half of our students qualify for free and reduced-price lunch, but the district excels in graduation rates and other metrics. Our academic statistics are comparable to a school system with very low free and reduced-price lunch rates.
The Bangor model is proof that poverty doesn’t have to determine a child’s academic performance. Providing students with healthy food and a solid academic foundation does make a difference in their achievement.
Over the next few weeks, the task force will be accepting public testimony for a five-year plan to address hunger in Maine schools. If you have experience or information to share, I strongly encourage you to attend the task force’s final meeting. It takes place on Dec. 8 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Room 209 of the Cross State Office Building in Augusta. You can also comment on this webpage: maine.gov/legis/forms/hungerstudy.htm.
There is still much to learn. I look forward to continuing this work and tackling one of the most critical challenges for Maine children and their education.
Rep. Victoria Kornfield, D-Bangor, is serving her first term in the Maine State House of Representatives. She serves on the Legislature’s Education and Cultural Affairs Committee and is House chair of the Task Force to End Student Hunger.