Perspectives on the Effects of Universal School Meal Programs on Students and Their Communities

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

The three papers in this panel present a range of perspectives on how universal school meal programs have affected student and community outcomes in the last decade. All papers utilize difference-in-differences research designs to estimate effects of various universal school meal programs, from the Community Eligibility Provision to COVID-era Universal Free Meal programs. Outcomes studied include student test scores and proficiency rates, absenteeism, high school graduation and dropout rates, and community crime levels and voting behavior on school district referenda. In paper 1, Rabinson Pahiju examines the effects on juvenile crime rates of the Community Eligibility Provision, which eliminates the need for individual families to complete applications for free or reduced-price meals at qualifying schools by verifying students’ participation in other federal assistance programs. Preliminary results include that CEP adoption reduces county-level juvenile crime rates, especially for property crime. In paper 2, Meredith Dost also studies the effects of the Community Eligibility Provision, focusing on its staggered rollout in Wisconsin. The paper compares: 1) individual-level outcomes of economically disadvantaged students in schools that implemented the CEP versus similar students in schools that did not, and 2) district-level voting choices in school referenda measures on the ballot in districts that implemented the CEP compared with districts that did not. The author has recently gained access to this restricted dataset and analyses are underway. In paper 3, Garrison Pollard examines educational preparedness in Florida in the post-COVID era. The paper leverages a USDA policy that expanded school eligibility for universal free school meals to test how it affected student outcomes. Results show that those Florida schools which maintained free meals after these USDA waivers ended experienced positive effects on school reading and math proficiency rates, negative effects on chronic absenteeism in elementary schools, and that these effects were largest when the financial implications of participation are considered. Taken together, these papers explore how universal school meal policies affect the lives of students and their communities. Each of the papers has real-world implications for policies seeking to reduce child poverty and increase student achievement. Finally, the panel will benefit from the perspective of Dr. Sarah Charnes, serving as discussant, who is an expert on public food assistance in the U.S. and is currently studying school meal-related policy.

Policy Area

• Poverty and Income Policy

Secondary Policy Area

• Education

Chair

• Meredith Dost, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Discussant

• Sarah Charnes, Westat

Organizer

• Meredith Dost, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Individual Presentations

• Universal Free School Meals and Juvenile Crimes: Evidence from Community Eligibility Provision - Presenting Author: Rabinson Pahiju, The University of Memphis

• Reducing Administrative Burden through Universal Free Lunch: Effects on Student Outcomes and Political Support for Schools - Presenting Author: Meredith Dost, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• There is No Such Thing as a Free Lunch: School Meals, Pandemic Recovery, and Fiscal Substitution - Presenting Author: Garrison Pollard, University of Florida

• Free School Lunches and Chronic Absenteeism in Oregon - Presenting Author: Richard A Uhrig, Bureau of Labor Statistics