Project 2025 will eliminate free school lunches

Question

While Project 2025 doesn't explicitly propose eliminating all free school lunches, it does include a proposal to reduce the number of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. Daren Bakst, the author of Project 2025's chapter on the U.S. Department of Agriculture, calls for an end to the CEP and to reject lawmakers’ efforts to expand eligibility for the free school lunch program. Bakst claims the programs now resemble "entitlement programs", when in reality the programs provided more than 4 billion bunches a year for children who may not get any other meals. The project outlines many plans that will prohibit schools from utilizing the Community Eligibility Provision and rejecting efforts to establish Healthy School Meals for All policies nationwide and in states.  

https://frac.org/blog/project-2025    

Comments

I feel as though your claim is slightly exaggerated, however your sources back up your claim and you provided thorough information.

Answer 1

It appears that this claim is true, however not in eliminating the free school lunches all together, just restricting them more greatly. The Center for Human Needs backs up this information further, explaining how the project specifically wants to end the Community Eligibility Provision, allowing "all students who attend schools serving a student body wherein at least 25 percent of students are eligible for free- or reduced-price school meals to receive free school meals." This would result in reduced benefits to kids in low income areas. This article was written by Colin Seeberger, a senior advisor for Communications at Center for American Progress. Having worked with numerous organizations as well as holding a research background, he is a trustworthy source to be sharing this information.

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/project-2025s-plan-to-gut-checks-and-balances-harms-parents/

Comments

You’re absolutely right—restricting the Community Eligibility Provision would limit access to free meals for many low-income students. I think this could significantly increase food insecurity in already vulnerable communities, making it harder for kids to succeed in school.