With Deadline Extended for MD Schools to Choose Hunger-Free Option, New County Fact Sheets Highlight Need

Washington County schools are leading the way in becoming hunger-free by adopting a new tool, community eligibility, that allows high-poverty schools to serve breakfast and lunch to all students free of charge. Unfortunately, many eligible schools in Maryland have yet to follow Washington County’s lead. But since the Agriculture Department has extended the deadline for schools to adopt community eligibility to August 31, there’s still hope that more will join. 

Established by Congress in 2010, community eligibility allows high-poverty schools to eliminate school meal applications for individual students and offer breakfast and lunch to all students at no charge. Any school where 40 percent or more of students automatically qualify for free meals is able to participate. Unfortunately, while 374 schools in Maryland could be participating, only 13 are currently doing so. Only one school in Baltimore is participating, even though the Baltimore City district could provide meals for all of its students and receive 100% reimbursement for meals served.

Most of these schools are in Washington County. Last week, we teamed up with Maryland Hunger Solutions to recognize the county’s leadership in providing free meals to all students via community eligibility. Five schools in Washington County have adopted community eligibility, and seven more will do so in the upcoming school year.

So far, few other schools in Maryland have seized the opportunity, although the need certainly exists. Statewide, 14.4 percent of households with children lack access to adequate food. Maryland Hunger Solutions has released fact sheets that identify which schools qualify for community eligibility, along with details about poverty and potential hunger in their home counties. Parents and anti-hunger advocates can use the information provided  to promote community eligibility in their areas. Because the deadline  has been extended through the summer, there is still time for high-poverty schools across the state to opt-in and provide free meals to all of their students. 

Some schools have expressed concern that adopting community eligibility could jeopardize other funding used to improve the academic success of disadvantaged students, since its allocation is based on data provided in free and reduced-price meal applications. But schools have numerous options to ensure that this does not happen. 

Thousands of schools across the country that have adopted community eligibility have seen positive results. For example, schools in Illinois, Kentucky, and Michigan have seen a 13 percent increase in school lunch participation and a 25 percent increase in school breakfast participation over the past two years. Also, by reducing paperwork, community eligibility allows schools to become more efficient and devote more resources to educating their students. 

Be sure to check back here for more on why adopting community eligibility is a smart policy for Maryland’s schools.