WILMINGTON — Surrounded by Joseph E. Johnson Elementary School students and educational advocates, Gov. John Carney signed legislation into law Tuesday that will guarantee free school meals for low-income students.
The governor’s enactment follows over a year of efforts from state Reps. Rae Moore, D-Middletown, and Bryan Shupe, R-Milford, who combined respective proposals to ensure vulnerable Delaware students are best prepared to succeed in the classroom.
“We anticipate numerous positive outcomes from this measure, including improved academic performance, better health and again, reducing the stigma of receiving reduced (priced meals),” Rep. Moore said during Tuesday’s signing of House Bill 125 at the Wilmington elementary school.
“While today’s achievement is significant, our goal is to ensure that every child in the state of Delaware has access to free school meals regardless of their family income.”
While the legislation includes all school meals, 2024 data from the Student Nutrition Association has found that, on average, students who eat school breakfast achieve 17.5% higher standardized math test scores and attend 1.5 more days of school per year.
The bipartisan effort began in Delaware’s House of Representatives in April 2023 and, over the course of the 152 nd General Assembly, the bill was changed with compromises twice to lower the overall state cost of the bill while ensuring that the state’s low-income students were prioritized.
Rep. Moore’s initial proposal guaranteed free school meals for all Delaware students, but that iteration of the bill would have cost the state an average of $40 million over each of the next three fiscal years.
So, the Middletown Democrat and Rep. Shupe combined separate efforts to provide increased access to school meals in a substituted version of the bill, in which free school food would be provided to students eligible for federal reduced-price meal programs. The enacted version of the law will cost the state an average of $247,000 over each of the next three years.
These programs are currently offered to students whose family incomes are between 130% and 185% of federal poverty guidelines.
As of July 2024, 130% of the federal poverty guideline would equate to an income of $26,572 for a family of two; $33,566 for a family of three; and $40,560 for a family of four, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The ceiling of House Bill 125’s purview – 185% of the federal poverty guideline – would extend to a total income of $37,814 for a family of two; $47,767 for a family of three; and $57,720 for a family of four.
Throughout the legislative process, both Rep. Moore and Rep. Shupe, as well as colleagues on both sides of the aisle and across the hall in the Senate, praised the educational benefits the bill would have on Delaware students.
According to 2024 data from the Food Bank of Delaware, one out of 5 children are hungry in the state, a larger proportion than the 1 out of 8 adults who are hungry in the First State.
After signing the measure into law Tuesday, Gov. Carney called the legislation a “really big deal” for the First State and its children.
“Foundationally, there is nothing more important than making sure our young children can perform (and) learn; the future of our state depends on it,” the governor told the Daily State News.
“States (that) are going to be successful are those that can develop the strongest, best educated workforce and this is fundamental and foundational for that.”
On July 5, the state Department of Education released its annual announcement regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture policy for free and reduced-price meals. The policy extends to the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, and After School Snack Program.
Meal benefit forms will be sent to Delaware students’ households, according to the department. To apply, families can complete the form for their household and return it to their respective school.
Information provided on the form will be used to determine eligibility and can be verified at any time during the school year by program officials, though such data will not be used for any other purpose without parent or guardian consent.
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