It’s hard to believe, but another summer has gone by – and back to school season is here. When I think back to my own time spent inside the classroom, I can remember the smell of rubber erasers, the sound of hand-crank pencil sharpeners and the sight of freshly painted chalkboards. I was an eager student who loved to learn. I looked forward to seeing my friends after long summers spent soaking up the sun. However, there’s something else that I recall from my youth: hunger. Not only was I one of the first Head Start students, I was also a student who was eligible for free school meals. Sometimes, these meals were the only reliable meals that I could expect when money was really tight for my family.

According to Full Plates Full Potential, Maine has the highest rate of childhood food insecurity in New England. In fact, one in six Maine kids lack access to basic nutrition on a regular basis. Prior to free universal school meals, the school meal eligibility guidelines were restrictive. The guidelines also didn’t consider other factors, aside from income, that make it difficult for families to afford food. It became clear that free universal school meals were the solution to a problem that left far too many students hungry during the school day.

Looking back, I can’t imagine having to learn on an empty stomach. Hunger makes it harder to learn because you’re thinking about food, not the lessons or the textbooks. On top of that, when certain students were singled out for free meals – it was easy to figure out who they were – there was a stigma. There were feelings of embarrassment and shame. And whispers. That’s why I’m proud to say that my colleagues and I have made free universal schools meals available for all Maine students – no matter who they are, where they come from, or how much money their families make. Although it’s not required to receive free school meals, parents should still complete the School Meal Benefit Form, which is available online at nlappscloud.com. When parents complete the form, they can help their child’s school receive all of the state and federal funding that supports school meal reimbursements, Title I programs, after school activities and more. Their child might also be eligible for the Pandemic EBT Program, which helps feed students even when they miss school from pandemic-related closures or absences. The form determines all of that.

As a member of the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, I prioritize smart, practical investments. To offer some relief from pandemic-related delays and disruptions, we made community college free for Maine high school students in the graduating classes of 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. We froze in-state tuition at the University of Maine System. We set funds aside for career and technical education centers. We fulfilled the state’s obligation to fund 55 percent of public education costs and created an Education Rainy Day Fund, which will help the state meet this obligation in the future. That being said, in order to fully invest in education and our schools and students, we had to make free universal school meals a reality, too. What’s better, since Maine’s constitution requires that we always balance the budget, none of these investments put Maine in the red. Our Rainy Day Fund has never been higher, and our unemployment rate is nearing a record low point.

As always, I am honored to represent you and your family in Augusta. If you have comments or questions for me, please call my legislative office at (207) 287-1515 or send me an email at Donna.Bailey@legislature.maine.gov.