Press
New York City Offers Free Lunch for All Public School Students
September 6, 2017
Lunch at New York City public schools will be available free of charge to all 1.1 million students beginning this school year, Carmen Fariña, the schools chancellor, said on Wednesday in the basement cafeteria of a Hell’s Kitchen elementary school. The new school year begins on Thursday.
Advocates Hope That Food Issues Will Find a Place on City’s Campaign Table
June 7, 2017 - City Limits by Kate Pastor
The city budget for fiscal 2018, which was passed this week, also includes money for a significant expansion of universal free school lunch, a longstanding policy goal of anti-hunger advocates, who believe that the stigma associated with getting “free lunch” deters thousands of students from using the benefits to which they are entitled. Under the new deal, all schools where 70 percent or more of students are eligible for free lunch will be part of the universal-free program. According to Liz Accles of Community Food Advocates, the expansion means 90 percent of schools (adding 890 schools to the 565 already covered) and 84 percent of students (adding 475,000 kids to the 353,000 students already covered) will receive universal free lunch.
NYC Budget Deal Has Millions for Youth Jobs, Free School Lunches
June 3, 2017 - Bloomberg News by Henry Goldman
New York city Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito -- both Democrats -- shook hands on an $85 billion spending plan for the next fiscal year that includes about $30 million to create thousands of permanent and summer jobs for city youth.
New spending on schools includes $107 million in capital and operating funds to provide all schools with gyms or other physical education facilities and more than $10 million to offer more students free lunches.
De Blasio, City Council reach agreement on $85B budget
June 3, 2017 - New York Post by Yoav Gonen
Mayor de Blasio and the City Council reached a tentative agreement Friday on an $85.2 billion budget for fiscal 2018 — a 3.7 percent increase over the previous year’s adopted budget.
An additional $10.4 million was added to the budget to expand the free-lunch program in schools — which had been a priority for council members and Public Advocate Letitia James.
Mayor de Blasio Announces Budget for Fiscal Year 2018
June 2, 2017 - NBC 4 New York
Mayor de Blasio and the City Council have announced an agreement on an $85.2 billion budget that adds money for programs including emergency food assistance and school gym classes.
The budget significantly expands the number of schools offering free lunch for all students. The I-Team recently reported that kids from families over the current income cutoff were skipping meals so their parents wouldn't be charged.
Mayor de Blasio, City Council agree on $85.2B budget deal
June 2, 2017 - New York Daily News by Jillian Jorgensen
The Council, meanwhile, got new money for several of its priorities including $23 million to end the waiting list for home care for seniors, $25 million to expand a property tax credit for veterans who served in war time, $9 million to expand the Summer Youth Employment Program, and a $7.2 million increase — that’s a 15 percent hike — in funding for emergency food assistance.
There’s also $2.1 million to expand breakfast in city classrooms, $10.4 million for free school lunch and $110 in capital funds for libraries.
Ending School Lunch Shaming
May 31, 2017 - Time Warner Cable News by Capital Tonight Staff
You've probably seen stories surface on social media about kids being shamed for not being able to pay for their school lunches. My first guests this evening are sponsoring legislation that would prevent schools from denying students meals, or requiring students to do chores to pay for meals. Instead, schools would be required to contact parents and guardians directly. Senator Liz Krueger and Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon join us from the New York City studio to discuss.
Last City Budget Hearing Sets Stage for Final Negotiations
May 26, 2017 - Gotham Gazette by Samar Khurshid
Although Ferreras-Copeland commended the de Blasio administration for funding key initiatives -- air conditioning in public school classrooms, immigrant support services, planning for borough-based jails in the effort to close the Rikers Island complex -- and reducing excess capital appropriations, she criticized the lack of funding for universal school lunch, senior services, youth jobs, and the Emergency Food Assistance Program. The budget, “as it currently stands, does not appropriately reflect the vision of both the Council and the Mayor,” she said.