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In the state that I teach in, one in three students depend on SNAP benefits for food. More than half of my state’s students come from low-income households. On a single teacher’s salary, my two children qualify for free and reduced cafeteria lunch, automatically qualifying them for SNAP benefits. Unfortunately, many of these benefits, put in place in 2020 to counteract Covid recessions among families, will come to an end or drastically decrease in March of 2023 for students and their families. My children will no longer receive these benefits either. According to TruthOut, the average household’s benefits “will drop by approximately $95 per month, with some households absorbing as much as a $250 reduction.” Needless to say, many families with school-aged children will be forced to find other means to feed their families. Households with children make up 66% of SNAP recipients, which means SNAP cuts will affect many of our students.
SNAP Benefits Decrease Puts Students at a Disadvantage
Any teacher knows it is difficult for a child to learn and concentrate on an empty stomach. Many teachers keep snacks on hand in their classrooms for students who are in need, but only some teachers have the means to do this. SNAP benefits were not only providing food for students’ families but also giving students access to free or reduced school lunches and breakfasts. Without breakfast or lunch to fuel them through the school day, students and teachers will likely see possible declines in academics and behavior.
A decrease in SNAP benefits will also put many families below the national poverty level, providing school-age children with even more hurdles to overcome. These students traditionally have fewer resources at home to complete school assignments and are less likely to come to school fed, well-rested, and prepared to learn. Often parents and caretakers of these students spend much of their time working low-paying jobs to support their families, leaving them little time to help children with homework.
Overall, SNAP benefits help improve student health. It’s no secret that in the United States, many families struggle with access to healthy food. Researchers have established a definite correlation between low income and poor nutrition. This confirms what educators have long known: poor nutrition and bad habits come with a cost.Â
So what does this mean for students? Several adverse effects for children can stem from food-insecure households, likely impacting a student’s ability to learn to their full potential.
- Students becoming sick more often due to poor nutrition
- Students missing more school days due to sickness
- Fidgeting and lack of focus due to hunger
- Heightened reactions to stress due to hunger
- Lack of energy, leading to a lack of effort
- Long-term nutrition deficits can cause serious learning disabilities
If our students are not receiving proper food and nutrition, teaching them becomes more challenging. So what can we as teachers do to help our students once SNAP benefits decrease and food insecurity becomes an issue for some of our students?
How Teachers and Schools Can Respond to Decreases in SNAP Benefits
As stated above, many of us teachers keep snacks on hand in our classrooms for students who need them. A hungry student is often a cranky, uncomfortable student who has difficulty staying focused, so providing them with a snack seems like a quick fix. Well, that’s the issue. Unfortunately, a quick fix isn’t what many of these students need. Their food insecurities stem from a lack of food at home. Being the compassionate educators that we are, we are saddened by seeing our students go hungry. Below are some ideas that schools and teachers can implement to help our students deal with a lack of food at home:
- Involve the school counselor. Parents often need to be more educated about keeping or increasing SNAP benefits, as the process can be confusing. Involving a school counselor can help parents and students secure the benefits they need to receive food on a regular basis.
- Work with a church or community foundation. There are many organizations on a local level willing to help with food donations for hungry students. My district, for example, utilizes a program called “Backpack Buddies,” where local churches come together to fill food bags weekly for students in need. The bags are delivered to schools on Thursdays, and students take them home on Fridays, ensuring families have food over the weekend. In addition, if it is a holiday break, the bags have more food to last the added days.
- Work with parents. I never like to ask too much of my classroom parents. However, I request monthly snack donations to keep my classroom snack pantry stocked. Most parents are more than happy to help, and I have the peace of mind of knowing that all of my students are getting the nutrition they need. I use this “snack stash” for students who forgot to bring a snack or whose parents don’t supply them with one from home. I encourage my students to ask for a snack discreetly so that no student feels embarrassed or singled out. This leads to more active minds and happier students!
- We often play the role of our students’ biggest advocates, and reaching out to state agencies to advocate for better SNAP benefits is another way teachers can help. Each state has an agency responsible for determining SNAP eligibility and issuing SNAP funds monthly. Voicing our concerns about students going without food presents a strong argument favoring an increase in SNAP benefits.
The bottom line is that decreasing SNAP benefits will hinder students’ learning. Students must be fed to be healthy and in their best frame of mind. But, again, it seems as though schools and teachers will be the ones picking up the slack to make sure their students are adequately fed. School lunch is the only warm meal many of our students receive daily. With SNAP benefits decreasing, as teachers, we must do all we can to ensure our students have the proper nutrition to fuel their education. Reach out to your state agencies and encourage benefit increases. Ask for partnerships with community organizations and churches. And most importantly, advocate for your school district to help its students and their families obtain the food they need.
Ashley Chennault is currently a freelance writer and 4th-grade teacher in the small coastal town of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Ashley is in her 18th year of teaching and holds a master of arts degree in elementary education. In addition, she became Nationally Board Certified in 2020. In her free time, she enjoys her second job as an educational contract writer, boating, beaching, cooking, watching her teenage sons play sports, and spending time with her three adopted wiener dogs, Georgie, Henry, and Tripp.
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