AUGUSTA - The Legislature's Education and Cultural Affairs Committee voted Tuesday to advance LD 1183, sponsored by Rep. Sue Salisbury, D-Westbrook, which would establish the School Meal Equipment and Program Improvement Fund to be administered by the Maine Department of Education (DOE).
As amended, the bill would direct DOE to issue grants to eligible school districts to purchase school kitchen and cafeteria equipment. This equipment is necessary to serve healthy meals, improve food safety in school kitchens and cafeterias, support the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program and to reimburse food costs associated with accommodating separate equipment requirements for students with medically necessary dietary restrictions.
"Across the country, schools are often the only place where kids can get a meal in a given day," said Salisbury. Here in Maine, 43% of students rely on school meals. This bill will establish a pathway for schools to reliably access funding so that they can acquire and maintain the equipment needed to ensure our students don't go hungry.
DOE receives funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture each year to distribute to schools to purchase large pieces of equipment, and this fall they awarded $189,982 to only partially fund 29 schools. Every other year since October 2018, the state received $85,000 or less for these efforts. Because current funding is inadequate, organizations like Full Plates Full Potential, a statewide nonprofit working to address childhood food insecurity by providing technical and financial assistance to schools and communities, are left to fill in the gaps. Last year, Full Plates reported receiving grant requests from six schools, totaling over $140,000, to fund large equipment purchases.
"I am thrilled that the committee saw the value in this investment and I am especially grateful to the work of Full Plates Full Potential for all that they do to combat childhood food insecurity in Maine," said Salisbury.
The bill faces votes in the House and Senate in the coming weeks.
Salisbury is serving her second term in the Maine House and represents District 128, part of Westbrook. She serves as House chair of the Legislature's Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
Contact:
Brian Lee [Salisbury], 305-965-2744