HARDWICK – “Universal meals is the right thing to do for our children, families, communities and education,” said Valerie Hussey, Orleans Southwest Supervisory Union (OSSU) Food Services Director last week.
Legislators, supporters and advocates from Hunger Free Vermont, the School Nutrition Association of Vermont and the Vermont Farm to School and Early Childhood Network gathered at the State House In January to celebrate five years of Universal School Meals and the state’s continued commitment toward this essential program.
“Food insecurity at school is a thing of the past and it should remain in the past. Children should not experience any stress whatsoever from owing money for school meals. We need to feed our children, all children, which gives them the nourishment, energy, focus, and ability to learn while in school,” said Hussey.
First implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, Universal School Meals became law in Vermont in 2023 via Act 64. Now, more than 14 million free meals are provided to Vermont children at school every year thanks to the program.
More than 150 Vermont farms sell to schools and early childhood programs, and every dollar spent on local food generates $1.60 in economic activity in Vermont. That investment ripples out to farmers, processors, distributors, and rural communities.
“The Vermont Universal School Meals program also has positive impacts on school district budgets, which previously had to subsidize school nutrition programs. Vermont residents used to pay at the local level to cover the full cost of providing meals and unpaid school meal program debts, turning our principals into bill collectors. Now, principals can just focus on supporting their students,” according to a Hunger Free Vermont statement.
“We’re not going back to a system in which kids who were from families that didn’t qualify but were still food insecure went hungry,” Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth said. “We are not going back to a system where we prefer some kids over others. We’re in a system now where there is no stigma to receiving your lunch. Everybody is treated equally, and we will stay that way.”
“I can no longer imagine a Vermont where we made eight-year-olds navigate lunch payment, where families carried a debt to feed their kids, and our food systems were missing this critical link for the health of our kids and our farm,” Senate Majority Leader Kesha Ram Hinsdale said. “Here’s to universal school meals, and feeding kids. It’s simply the right thing to do.”
“Universal school meals are worth celebrating,” Sen. Ruth Hardy said. “They help kids learn and grow, save time and red tape, and bring support to Vermont families, schools, and farms. Good food helps ; ; ; everyone!”
“I am proud that we made a clear choice by making universal school meals permanent: our students should be focused on their school experience and not have to worry about whether they will have access to healthy meals,” House Speaker Jill Krowinski said. “Our kids are the future of our state, and investing in them is an investment in Vermont’s future.”
“Today marks 1,000 days of Universal School Meals in Vermont. For five years, no child in our state has ever had to learn what it feels like to go hungry in school, and that is thanks to everyone here,” said Anore Horton, executive director of Hunger Free Vermont. “When we provide meals to all students, we know they are more engaged and better able to learn alongside their classmates without worrying about whether they will be able to eat while at school.”
“Universal School Meals are a critical strategy for food security,” said Kayla Strom, Farm to Institution Program Director. “For many children, school is where they receive the majority of their daily nutrition, which makes both access and quality essential. Together, Universal School Meals and Farm to School ensure that local, sustainable, nourishing food is not a privilege, but something all Vermont kids deserve.”
“Children are the future, let’s help to keep them on the path to success,” said Hussey.
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
