Ohio educators warn SNAP cuts could worsen hunger in schools

By Farah Siddiqi

Ohio educators say recent SNAP cuts could have lasting effects on students’ ability to learn. They warn the changes threaten free school meals provided through the Community Eligibility Provision, a federal program tied to family benefit levels.

Andrea Beeman, a para-educator in Maple Heights, said many students depend on those meals every day.

"I'm worried that our district is going to lose its community eligibility status, that our students will not have nutritious breakfast in the morning and lunch in the afternoon," she explained. "Our students are going to come in here hungry, and because they won't have food, that is going to affect their achievement and their learning outcomes."

Ohio brought in more than $3.1 billion in SNAP funding last year, supporting more than 1.4 million households, nearly half with children. State advocates warn new federal cuts could reduce access to free school meals for hundreds of thousands of students. Beeman already sees the connection between hunger and student focus in her classroom.

"A hungry child can just not focus," she continued. "When you have to worry about your next meal, how are you gonna focus on what the teacher is teaching you in class? We need to invest in our kids. This transcends race, color and creed, this is about economic justice. so that we can make sure they are twenty-first century learners."

The Community Eligibility Provision currently reaches more than 415,000 Ohio students across 1,082 schools. Educators say maintaining those programs is critical to keeping children fed and ready to learn.