To the editor:

We need to feed our kids. You can help.

As a student at WashU, I know food is one of the biggest reasons I’m here. Always having access to enough food meant I could focus on performing in school, not on where my next meal was coming from. But unfortunately, that’s a privilege, not a right, for our kids in Missouri. We need to eliminate the reduced-price meal copay so that every student has a chance at success.

For some families enrolled in reduced-price school meals, the copay is still a financial burden. Eliminating it could increase students’ participation in the program. In St. Louis, this change could guarantee thousands of kids the ability to eat at every school day. And this would benefit both our students and our state. Free school meals have been shown to improve test scores, attendance and even lifetime earnings, especially for kids from low-income backgrounds. And, for every dollar we invest in school meals, we see two dollars in economic benefits. 

Missouri needs to eliminate the reduced-price meal copay to ensure every kid has the tools to succeed. Tell your legislators to eliminate the copay in the next legislative session. For our students, our schools and our state — contact your legislators today.

Sydney Regan

St. Louis