The Lunch Monitor: Increased 3SquaresVT Benefits and the Continued Importance of Universal School Meals

In October 2021, 3SquaresVT benefits increased in Vermont and around the country thanks to important changes made by the federal government to the food stamp program. This is the largest increase in benefits since the program began, which seems like good news for food-insecure families in our community, but there is more to the story.

Unfortunately, recent inflation rates in the US have also climbed to their highest in more than 30 years, which puts increased pressure on low-income families. The new maximum 3SquaresVT benefit per person for a family of 4 is now $6.86 per day. The average meal cost in Vermont is $3.60 per meal, so these benefits cover just 64% of their food costs for a family who is receiving the maximum benefit.

Veggie Van Go pickup

How do families in our community make up the difference? Many families rely on local food pantries like Foodworks and programs like the Vermont Foodbank’s Veggie Van Go Program for meals at home. For families with school-aged children, the fact that school breakfast and lunch are free again this year thanks to a temporary pandemic waiver from the USDA reduces financial stress for families.

School meals looks different than when we were kids!

There is currently a statewide effort to bring universal school meals to every public school in Vermont, to make breakfast and lunch free for all students permanently. 38.6% of families in Windham Southeast Supervisory Union (WSESU) receive 3SquaresVT benefits; therefore if universal meals were to become permanent in WSESU, that would directly benefit approximately 423 students in our district who might not otherwise have adequate nutrition to help them succeed in school. Additionally, 54% of eligible Vermonters are reluctant to apply for 3SquaresVT due to stigma, making programs like universal school meals even more crucial to the health of children and families in our community who are not receiving benefits. Multiple studies have confirmed that universal meals improve student learning, behavior, and health, reducing stigma in schools, and fostering a positive learning environment. Click here to show your support for universal meals.

The Lunch Monitor: Vermont’s New Local Purchasing Incentive

We are thrilled to highlight the new Local Purchasing Incentive, which passed into law in Vermont this past spring. This exciting new grant program available through the Vermont Agency of Education incentivizes schools to buy more foods grown or produced in Vermont. Offering a reimbursement of 15 cents per lunch served during the 2020-2021 school year and up to 25 cents per lunch served in subsequent years, this grant has the potential to transform school lunch in great ways by getting more fresh, local food into the lunch program while supporting the Vermont agricultural and food production economy.

Linked here is an FAQ Food Connects has put together about the new program. This FAQ is not an official Agency of Education policy. Still, it is a tool that Food Connects created to help schools begin to strategize about this while the AOE works out how to implement the program in the coming months.

We are working closely with school nutrition directors and administrators on this. Please reach out to farmtoschool@foodconnects.org if you would like to learn more!

The Lunch Monitor: It Pays to Buy Local

Local Purchasing Incentive (Vermont) | S.273

What it does

1. Creates a tiered local purchasing incentive for Vermont schools and correctional facilities. 

2. Reimburses schools annually for local purchasing. Reimbursements would start at 15 cents per plate when at least 15% of ingredients are purchased locally. This would go up to 20 cents per plate at 20% and top out at 25 cents per plate at 25% and above. 

3. Defines the broadest definition of local as grown or produced in Vermont or within 30 miles of Vermont. Processed foods would need to be made in Vermont and contain at least 75% locally sourced ingredients. 

4. Provides an additional full-time position in the Child Nutrition Programs at the Vermont Agency of Education to assist schools in purchasing more local foods.

Why we think it’s important

Schools in Vermont have a lot of buying power. $15.5 million was spent on food by School Nutrition Programs in 2018 and over half that money comes from outside the state via federal funding. If we’re able to create a stronger incentive to purchase food locally, we can keep more of that $15.5 million within our communities. This translates to higher quality meals and a stronger economy. The case for local food was apparent during the pandemic when shocks to national food chains demonstrated the resilience of local food. Leveraging schools to buy more local can help farms grow and develop a more robust local food system to protect our community against future uncertainty. 

Local purchasing incentives are gaining traction regionally as well. New York currently has the most generous program in operation—any district that spends at least 30% of their food dollars within the state gets their state reimbursement quadrupled, from 6 to 25 cents per meal. A similar proposal is currently being crafted by a working group in New Hampshire. Nationally, the Small Farm to School Act was introduced in July and would take the incentivized local purchasing model nationwide. 

Senator Balint and Sheila Humphreys of Food Connects chat with kindergarteners during breakfast after the bell at Green Street School.

Who supports it

In the Vermont Senate, there are 12 co-sponsors of the bill, including Senator Becca Balint from Windham County, Senators Dick McCormack and Alison Clarkson from Windsor County, and Senator Brian Campion from Bennington County.

Current status

The bill passed the Senate Committee on Agriculture with a favorable report and is now being reviewed by the Committee on Appropriations. Last action was taken on March 12th, 2020, and as normal Senate procedures resume we hope to see more action. 

Interested in more?

To learn more about how money is currently spent on school nutrition and what the impact could be if redirected locally, check out this info booklet from VT FEED and VT FTS Network. 

Want to talk with your local representative? Easily look up your local Senators and Representatives here!

The Lunch Monitor: Pandemic EBT

Since we kicked off this series this last winter, a lot has changed! To keep up, we want to spread the word about a great program that is already in place—but it’s not too late to join. 

Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) is a new benefit for families with students who are eligible for free and reduced meals at school or attend a school with universal free meals. If you’re currently eligible, you should have received a mailing with more information. If you’d like to enroll, all you need to do is sign up for 3SquaresVT or free and reduced school meals. Doing either of these will make you eligible for this program as well.

How does it work?

Families receive up to $386.70 per student in benefits. More benefits may also be released. For families already enrolled in 3SquaresVT, the benefits are loaded directly onto your card. If you don’t participate in 3SquaresVT but are eligible for P-EBT, a card is mailed to you. You can use this card to purchase foods at supermarkets, co-ops, general stores, and farmers’ markets.  

P-EBT does not replace the school meals currently distributed throughout the state. Even if your family is still receiving school meals, you may be eligible for P-EBT. Looking for more information? Check out Vermont 2-1-1 and Hunger Free VT for more resources. 

If you think you should have received a P-EBT card, please call the DCF service desk at 1-800-479-6151.

Keep on the lookout for our next part in The Lunch Monitor series where we’ll examine a local purchasing incentive currently under consideration in the VT Statehouse and the emergency response being advocated to accompany it. 

The Lunch Monitor: An Incomplete and Ongoing Guide to Farm to School Policy

There’s a lot going on at the state and national level when it comes to Farm to School policies. So much so that it can be overwhelming and confusing when you’re trying to sort out what’s happening, when it’s happening, and what the impact could be. The Food Connects team wants to invite you along as we follow the latest news and encourage our lawmakers to take action.

We plan to stay up-to-date on important legislation affecting Farm to School programming. We’ll also do the work of figuring out its impact, who’s supporting it, its stage in the legislative process, and why we think it’s important. We’d love to hear from you! Share with us the effect one of these bills would have on you and your community or let us know about something important we may have missed.

Your local legislator would love to hear from you too. We’ll be sure to include contact info with each of our updates. It’s important to remind our representatives that the work they’re doing is important and that their constituents care about these issues.

First up, we’re taking a look at the Universal School Meals Bill that has recently been introduced into the Vermont legislature.  

Universal School Meals Bill (Vermont) | S.223 and H.812

What it does

1. Requires all public schools in Vermont to serve breakfast and lunch to all students at no cost to the student or their family.

2. Reallocates school meals as an education expense to be included with the rest of the school budget. Schools would be required to fund the portion of school meals not reimbursed through federal funds or other revenue sources.

3. Maximizes federal reimbursement for meals at all schools through existing programs.

4. Defines the time spent by students eating school meals during class as instructional time.

5. Provides a five-year transition period and funding to help schools make the move to universal meals.

6. Provides an additional full-time position in the Child Nutrition Programs at the Vermont Agency of Education.

Why we think it’s important

We see the positive impact Universal Meals makes in our region. The Brattleboro Town School and the Windham Central Supervisory Union both offer free meals to their students. Both districts have seen dramatic increases in meal participation after implementation. This means more students have a reliable source of healthy, nutritious food and the Food Service Programs have more money through federal and state reimbursements to further improve the quality of their food. This is a virtuous cycle that we’d be excited to see expanded to all districts throughout the state. 

Who supports it

In the Vermont House of Representatives, there are 27 co-sponsors of the bill, including Representatives Mollie Burke and Emilie Kornheiser from Brattleboro. The Vermont Senate version of the bill has four co-sponsors. Currently, the bill doesn’t have any co-sponsors from southern Vermont. Reach out to your state senator and encourage them to join this bill! 

Current status

Both the House and Senate versions of the bill are currently in committee (sub-groups of the House and Senate that focus on specific areas of governance, like education, health care, and transportation). The Senate Committee on Education and the House Committee on Education are both currently discussing the bill. Most recently, the House Committee on Education met to discuss the bill on February 5th. 

Interested in more?

Our friends over at Hunger Free VT are leading the charge. They’ve created a website specifically for the Universal Meals bill. They’ve also made a factsheet with more detailed info on what the bill proposes. 

Want to talk with your local representative? Easily look up your local Senators and Representatives here!