While the novel coronavirus pandemic has been the topic of conversation for more than a year, it’s not the only public health crisis that merits acknowledgment and action. People in this nation are still hungry, and that includes children and teenagers. We know people have lost their jobs, lost their housing, and gone into medical debt related to the pandemic, and when it comes to food security, the picture hasn’t been much brighter. Regardless of employment status, food is expensive, especially when you have young mouths to feed.

As schools reopen for in-person learning, many families feel relief having free or reduced breakfast and lunch available for their students. Too, free lunch programs can be a double-edged sword in that they can bring about feelings of embarrassment and shame if, say, peers become bullies. That’s part of why it’s so beneficial for schools to make meals free for all students, regardless of income. Unfortunately, one school district in the state of Wisconsin is refusing to participate—and comments from adults in the decision-making room are uniquely horrifying. 

As some background, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending its federal waiver for the free National School Lunch Seamless Summer Option through June 30, 2022. This waiver lets all students, regardless of family income eligibility, receive free meals at school. Specifically, the program offers each student one breakfast, one lunch, and a snack during after-school programming for grades K-12.

This waiver program means families don’t have to fuss over paperwork and could be more inclusive for folks in need whose incomes are shifting rapidly during the pandemic. It also means no student will be “outed” as needing free or reduced meals, as everyone will receive them. Sounds great, right? Somehow, one entire school district in the whole state of Wisconsin is opting out. 

The Waukesha School District is the only district in Wisconsin to refuse the free meals program, thanks to school board members. In June, the board voted to turn down the free-for-all program and go back to the National School Lunch Program. The difference between the programs is that while the National School Lunch Program does provide free (or reduced) meals, families need to apply individually and qualify based on income. 

As reported by local outlet WUWM, Waukesha district CFO Darren Clark, for example, said he doesn’t want families to become addicted to “this service” of free meals for all students and added that “free is a funny thing.”

Karin Rajnicek also spoke at the meeting and identified herself as having three children. Rajnicek said she believes it’s the “responsibility” of the adult to feed the children and that she’s concerned people will become “spoiled” and think, “it’s not my problem anymore, it’s everyone else’s problem to feed my children.”

Mind you, feeding hungry people of any age should be everyone’s problem. Research shows that children learn and behave better when they’re not hungry, but even if food did not impact a child’s performance, making sure everyone is fed is truly a baseline standard for humanity.

Another thing we know: Some families who technically qualify won’t apply if there are language barriers, for example, or people have inconsistent or off-the-books incomes, or people are worried about citizenship or immigration issues. Some people also have too much pride or are concerned about their children being teased or isolated. No matter the reason, it’s evident that just making the meals accessible for everyone takes a burden off all involved. 

Thankfully, administrators in other parts of the state understand how vital a program like this is during the pandemic. “I’ve been getting a lot of calls lately,” Karen Fochs, nutrition director for the Wausau School District, explained to local outlet WAOW. “We do still have struggling families in our community, and those are the ones that are reaching out. So it really is a great feeling to say that this is the way for this school year.”

If only everyone agreed that helping people is more important than teaching them a misguided lesson about personal responsibility—especially during a literal global pandemic.