A coalition of food and labor activists, parents, educators and public officials gathered on the steps of City Hall on Oct. 17 to call on the next mayor to offer free lunch to all New York City public school students.

Making free lunch available to all students regardless of income would eliminate the stigma from the program, improve academic outcomes, reduce paperwork and draw in more federal dollars, said Liz Accles, the executive director of Community Food Advocates. Organizers will present 4,000 signatures from city residents calling for universal free lunch to Bill de Blasio and Joe Lhota, the two mayoral candidates.

Richard Mantell, the UFT vice president for middle schools, said he observed firsthand how the stigma affected students when he ran a Brooklyn school cafeteria.

“There was a drop-off in 7th grade because of the stigma attached,” he said. “Immigrant students were also afraid to fill out the paperwork for the program.” 

Some would eat the free lunch in the cafeteria kitchen to remain out of sight, he said. Others who skipped lunch would snack on junk food and energy drinks for the day.  “We need to make sure our next mayor addresses this,” Mantell said. “It’s simple, and it needs to get done.”

State Sen. Liz Krueger and City Council members Robert Jackson, Stephen Levin and Letitia James, who is running for public advocate, also spoke at the conference about their support for universal free school lunch.  

“You can tell when a child hasn’t had enough to eat,” said James. “They’re lethargic and fall asleep in class. We need to provide them with nutritious meals, and with it will come improved academic outcomes.”

Students from households with an income of $36,000 or less for a family of three are now eligible for free or reduced lunch.  Seventy-five percent of all children in the city’s schools qualify, but not every child signs up.  Accles said 80 percent of elementary school children start off enrolled in the program, but by the time they reach middle school that number drops to 60 percent. By high school – when students can be cruelly teased or ostracized for participation in the program – only 38 percent are enrolled.

The program requires the city to invest $20 million annually – a small fraction of the DOE budget, Levin said. That amount draws down an additional $60 million in federal and state funds.  

Triada Stampas, the senior director of government relations for the Food Bank of New York City, said free lunch for all is especially important now because of federal cuts to the food stamp program that are scheduled to take effect in November. Those cuts will mean 76 million fewer meals in New York City, affecting countless households where public school children live.