Although they face severe cutbacks in education funds, students attending New York City public schools can still count on getting a hot and nutritious meal every school day.

Close to 1 million city school children have taken advantage of the school lunch program this year. Throughout the country the National School Lunch program, enacted in 1946, serves over 28 million children daily. Numerous studies have shown that starting the day with a hot breakfast and lunch are just as essential to learning as new textbooks.

But for the program to continue, Congress must pass reauthorization legislation later this year. According to Veronica Montgomery-Costa, president of NYC Board of Education Local 372, the lawmakers should adopt several important improvements in the school nutrition program.

Ms. Montgomery-Costa, who is also president of District Council 37, recently met with legislators in Washington to recommend changes in the program. “Increasing the income limit for those children who qualify for a free lunch from 130% of the poverty line to 185% of the poverty line would eliminate the reduced-price category of the program,” she said. The 40-cent fee for reduced-price lunches continues to be a major barrier to participation in the program for children from working poor households.

Eliminating the fee would also reduce the amount of paperwork involved. “School principals have to spend a lot of time verifying the income of every student,” said DC 37 Schools Division Director Luis Ithier. “That increases considerably the amount of paperwork they have to deal with.”

The local also recommends increasing the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture reimbursement rates for child nutrition, consistent with a USDA analysis of the cost of producing a lunch. In most areas of the country, the cost of producing a school lunch is now greater then the $2.14 reimbursement rate for a free lunch.

“This program is essential for our school children,” said Ms. Montgomery-Costa. “I am hoping that the budget resolution can make room for several of these needed improvements in the child nutrition program.”