A majority of respondents (90%) said they support legislation to permanently provide free school meals to all Arizona students. | Photo: Shutterstock
A study from Arizona State University found that offering free meals in Arizona schools is universally supported, according to research from school nutrition experts, parents and community members.
The study included responses from 3,685 school employees, parents, and community members. The majority of respondents were parents (64%), followed by school employees (34%) and community members (2%). They also came from a wide range of political parties, with 6.6% identifying as very conservative, 12.2% as somewhat conservative, 30.8% as middle of the road, 19.4% as somewhat liberal, 17.9% as very liberal, and 13.2% as unsure of their political affiliation. Additionally, just under half of respondents identified as non-Hispanic White (44%) and 43% identified as Hispanic.
Thirty-one percent of respondents reported an annual income of less than $34,999, 30% reported an annual income between $35,000 and $64,999, 20% reported an income between $65,000 and $99,999, and 19% reported an income greater than $100,000.
Here are six things you should know from the report.
Most respondents rate school meals positively
Eighty-five percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that school meals reduced stress and saved families time packing meals. A majority (80%) also agreed or strongly agreed that school meals saved families money, and 76% agreed or strongly agreed that school meals benefited students academically. Just over half (57%) said they agreed that school meals provide nutritious, well-balanced meals.
Saving time and money were the most common reasons families chose school meals
A majority of parents who responded to the survey reported that they enrolled their children in school meals to save time (59%) or money (58%). Higher income families were more likely to report that they enrolled in school meals because of the time savings, while lower income and lower education families were more likely to cite cost savings as the reason why their children ate at school.
In addition, 52% of parents indicated that their children participated in breakfast and lunch at school because they liked the meals.
The most common reason families chose not to provide school meals was that students did not like the food
For parents whose children did not participate in school meals, just under half (46%) said their children did not like the taste of the food provided as a reason for not participating. In addition, 21% said they were concerned about the healthiness of school meals as a reason for their children not participating. Other reasons parents cited for their child not participating included the high cost of meals if they were not provided free of charge (18%), the child not having enough time to sit down and eat their meal (15%) and challenges in completing free or reduced school meal applications (13%).
Increased meal participation is cited by school food professionals as the top benefit of providing free meals
During COVID-19, schools across the country were able to serve meals to all students for free thanks to a series of waivers administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The waivers expired in June 2022, and many school nutrition programs had to revert to charging for meals.
A majority of hospitality professionals who responded to the survey cited increased participation as a benefit of offering free meals to all students during COVID-19.
Other reported benefits include reduced stigma for students (44%) and a reduction in unpaid meal debt (61%).
Labor and waste are concerns that come with universal free meals
Food industry professionals who responded raised a number of concerns about meal production if free meals were offered everywhere.
The top concern reported was staffing issues (51% indicated this was a moderate or significant concern), followed by food packaging waste (44% indicated this was a moderate or significant concern).
A majority of respondents support universal free school meals
When asked about the best approach to providing school meals in the future, a majority of respondents (79%) said that all pupils who want them should receive free meals. 17% of respondents said they would like to see the eligibility criteria changed to allow more pupils to receive free meals at school.
Additionally, an overwhelming majority of respondents (90%) indicated they support legislation to permanently provide free school meals to all Arizona students. Support for passing this legislation was consistent across political affiliations. Eighty-eight percent of conservatives and 96 percent of liberals indicated they supported the proposed legislation.
The top reason cited by respondents for offering free meals in schools was reducing child hunger (87%), followed by reducing shame and stigma in the school cafeteria (59%), cost savings for low-income families (57%), and improved academic performance (43%).
