Students Rally for School Meals in South Carolina State House

Students Rally for School Meals in South Carolina State House

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina State House may not scream “spring break destination” for most people. But a handful of students were there Wednesday, during their week off from school, to get some face time with lawmakers on an issue they see affecting their peers daily: hunger.

“School meals for all, make the state pay for it!” they chanted in the first-floor lobby of the State House. The students grabbed senators’ attention Wednesday as they walked in, encouraging them to put money and legislation toward expanding school meal access.

Estimates show that hundreds of thousands of kids in South Carolina face hunger, and the students are pushing for bipartisan bills to provide universal free meals in all South Carolina public schools. This effort has been championed by Sen. Katrina Shealy, who greeted the student visitors and expressed hope that her colleagues would take notice of the students’ message.

Currently, a Senate panel is investigating the recent disclosure of nearly $2 billion in unallocated taxpayer money, prompting advocates to emphasize that even a fraction of that amount could feed kids across the state. The students and advocacy groups are urging the Senate Finance Committee to renew a temporary law that encourages participation in a federal offering that covers the costs of breakfasts and lunches for all students in qualifying schools or districts.

Furthermore, the advocates hope to see legislators fund schools that have financial burdens preventing them from participating in such programs, as they believe providing free school meals is a small investment to ensure that children can achieve their academic potential.

Despite the availability of federal programs to support free school meals, South Carolina declined to participate in a program that would have given families money over the summer to buy groceries if their students qualify for free meals during the school year, citing the need to end pandemic-era programs.

Sen. Shealy criticized this decision, emphasizing the importance of accepting federal support to prioritize the well-being of children in the state. The advocates argue that investing in free school meals is essential for the overall health and academic success of South Carolina’s youth.