Private schools want to be included in state lunch program

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Private schools are calling on the state to expand the universal free lunch program to include their students.

Superintendent of Grand Rapids Christian Aaron Winkle welcomes a push to allow private schools access to the state program that provides free lunches to all students.

“I think there’s often a misperception that non-public schools, Christian schools… are made up of only wealthy families that’s just simply not the case. Twenty-five percent of our students already qualify for free or reduced lunch. Fifty percent of our families are receiving some kind of financial assistance to be here,” Winkle said.

Winkle says the school has programs to help families who cannot pay.

Students from low-income families can qualify for a federal program but they have to make the district aware they need assistance.

“We have a lot of middle-income families who don’t qualify, and rising costs and inflation are impacting them and this kind of program that’s available to students in the public school would be a huge benefit and would help our families who are struggling,” Winkle said.

The superintendent says the program would help with nutrition and learning. It would also get rid of the stigma families face to ask for help.

“If it’s good for students in public schools and the reasons that are being used to justify it in public schools are equally applicable in non-public schools,” Winkle said.

The Michigan Association of Non-Public Schools says the cost of adding the funding would be a small addition to the scope of the entire state budget.

Executive Director Brian Broderick says there are schools that would meet the requirements for Michigan’s program if they were public schools and not private schools.

“The Department of ED ran the numbers (and) came up with about 25 schools that serve both breakfast and lunch and that’s 4,200 students and they estimated the cost to be $1.6 million,” Broderick said.

The association wants funding allocated from the general fund to cover the cost of the program.

“We’re hopeful that if we have a supplemental budget this year that they would seek… to include non-public school students in the school lunch program, in the universal meals program and if not and if we’re gonna be back at this again next year through the appropriations process, we’ll keep making the same argument,” Broderick said.

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