SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House late Thursday unanimously approved legislation that would increase equity for low-income and minority students by expanding access to higher quality school meals across the state. The legislation, sponsored by House Deputy Majority Leader and Speaker Pro Tempore Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, would ensure that all students receive the nutrition needed to learn and thrive regardless of their racial or economic background. It now heads to the Illinois Senate.
Under current law, school districts enrolled in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) are required to consider only the lowest-priced meals when contracting with food service providers. This lowest-cost restraint makes for an extremely challenging and burdensome procurement process where food quality and taste are essentially non-factors. School districts that do not participate in the NSLP face no such restrictions, and therefore can purchase higher-quality food.
This inequity largely impacts lower-income and minority communities across the state, and places children enrolled at schools participating in the NSLP at a significant disadvantage compared to their peers at wealthier schools. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, schools served more than 4.8 billion lunches from the program nationwide during the school year in 2018 and 2019.
“We are one step closer to providing better, more nutritious meals for our children at school,” said Gordon-Booth. “Eliminating this mandate will empower our parents and school districts to make decisions that reflect what families want to see served to their children. For students who receive most of their food from school meals, this will be a game changer. Children in lower-income areas are the ones who have been hurt the most by existing policy, I am hopeful this change will provide food that tastes better, is healthier and will improve academic performance.”
HB 4813 would allow Illinois school districts to grade potential food service vendors with a matrix to better evaluate contractors and provide for meaningful participation of students and staff in the evaluation process. This proposal would give districts flexibility to account for food quality and taste, along with other variables including vendor references, history, and innovation, without the risk of awarding contracts that contain overly inflated costs or encourage a continued race to the bottom.
The legislation is supported by the Illinois Association of School Business Officials, as school districts across the state have pointed to current cost limitations as the main reason for low food quality and low consumption rates by students. Data suggests that students who do not eat a full lunch or breakfast are less prepared to succeed in the classroom. Adequate nutrition has been linked to students performing better in math, reading, attendance and test taking. Providing better meal options would increase consumption rates by students and improve academic performance.
The pandemic underscored the important role school districts and food service providers play in creating equitable outcomes for students, as disruptions in the daily school schedule left many students and families unsure where they could turn for nutritious meals. While school districts quickly pivoted, partnering with food service providers to ensure that no student went hungry, this legislation would bring about a more permanent solution to inequalities in food access.
“School districts deserve the choice to provide better quality food for its students, not just food that meets a requirement for the lowest bid,” said Todd Drafall, assistant superintendent for business at Downers Grove School District 58 and a member of the Board of Directors of the Illinois Association of School Business Officials. “We applaud legislators for passing the legislation in the Illinois House, and we hope to see bipartisan success in the Illinois Senate as well, so students can start to see better lunches as soon as possible.”
In addition to the Illinois Association of School Business Officials, the legislation is supported by a broad coalition including: Chicago Food Policy Action Council, Chicago Public Schools, ED-RED, Greater Chicago Food Depository, Illinois Environmental Council, Illinois Heart Association, Illinois Stewardship Alliance, Illinois Association of School Boards, Illinois Principals Association, Indian Prairie School District #240, Large Unit District Association, NAACP, Peoria Public Schools, Woodridge School District, West Aurora School District, Joliet 86 School District, LEND and the FIP Action Fund.
About The Illinois Association of School Business Officials
The Illinois Association of School Business Officials is devoted to the school business management profession. Our mission is to provide our members and stakeholders with a comprehensive range of professional development activities, services and advocacy through equitable and inclusive networking and participation.