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Back-to-school season should bring New York families a measure of certainty: When their children walk into school each morning, they can count on having a healthy, free breakfast waiting for them, and lunch available in the middle of the day.
Recent changes to federal nutrition policy, however, could undermine that certainty.
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Under sweeping structural changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, families are losing access to one of our nation’s most effective tools for fighting hunger. In New York alone, more than 180,000 families lost benefits in the first months after these changes took effect.
That is especially concerning at a moment when families are already struggling with the cost of putting food on the table. According to a 2026 No Kid Hungry New York poll, 74% of New York families have had to choose between buying enough food and paying for necessities like rent, utilities or transportation. Half have taken on additional debt to cover rising food costs, and 84% say food costs are rising faster than their income.
New York has responded to this affordability crisis, in part, by becoming a national leader on school meals, ensuring students across the state can receive breakfast and lunch at no cost. But these changes to SNAP could make it harder to sustain that progress.
That is because SNAP and school meals are more closely connected than many parents and policymakers realize, and the changes to SNAP could make that program unaffordable for the state.
Article continues below this ad
In New York, schools receive federal reimbursement for meals largely based on the number of students enrolled in certain federal programs, including SNAP and Medicaid. The state then uses its own funds to cover the difference between the maximum possible federal reimbursement and what schools actually receive so that all kids can get meals at no cost to them.
The reality is if fewer eligible families participate in SNAP, some schools — even in New York — could lose some federal support. As more of the cost falls on the state, they might not be able to absorb those additional expenses, leaving schools to face difficult decisions about how to keep universal meal programs going.
School meals provide enormous financial relief for families. A 2025 estimate found that free breakfast and lunch can save a family $165 per child each month in grocery spending, or roughly $1,600 over the course of a school year.
But school meals don’t simply benefit household budgets. They are also an investment in children’s ability to learn. When children have consistent access to nutritious food, they are better positioned to concentrate, participate in class and succeed academically. Universal school meals also eliminate paperwork and reduce the stigma that can come with free meal programs. Children can simply sit down and enjoy meals with their classmates, regardless of how much their parents earn.
Article continues below this ad
Our state has made tremendous progress toward ensuring that a child’s ability to eat at school doesn’t depend on their ZIP code or their family’s income. We should be strengthening that commitment.
The Senate has an opportunity to address these challenges in the next Farm Bill, which governs SNAP. Lawmakers should reverse the harmful changes to SNAP and protect families’ access to critical food assistance.
And as policymakers debate SNAP’s future, they must consider its full impact. Decisions about grocery assistance can affect the resources available in school cafeterias, the budgets of local school districts and, ultimately, whether children have reliable access to nutritious meals.
As New York’s students return to their classrooms this fall, we should be strengthening the nutrition programs that support them from the kitchen table to the cafeteria.
Article continues below this ad
Protecting SNAP is part of protecting school meals — and protecting every child’s opportunity to learn and thrive.
Rachel Sabella is the director of No Kid Hungry New York.
Commentary: SNAP changes could threaten universal school meal programs
Back-to-school season should bring New York families a measure of certainty: When their children walk into school each morning, they can count on having a healthy, free breakfast waiting for them, and lunch available in the middle of the day.
Recent changes to federal nutrition policy, however, could undermine that certainty.
Article continues below this ad
Under sweeping structural changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, families are losing access to one of our nation’s most effective tools for fighting hunger. In New York alone, more than 180,000 families lost benefits in the first months after these changes took effect.
That is especially concerning at a moment when families are already struggling with the cost of putting food on the table. According to a 2026 No Kid Hungry New York poll, 74% of New York families have had to choose between buying enough food and paying for necessities like rent, utilities or transportation. Half have taken on additional debt to cover rising food costs, and 84% say food costs are rising faster than their income.
New York has responded to this affordability crisis, in part, by becoming a national leader on school meals, ensuring students across the state can receive breakfast and lunch at no cost. But these changes to SNAP could make it harder to sustain that progress.
That is because SNAP and school meals are more closely connected than many parents and policymakers realize, and the changes to SNAP could make that program unaffordable for the state.
Article continues below this ad
In New York, schools receive federal reimbursement for meals largely based on the number of students enrolled in certain federal programs, including SNAP and Medicaid. The state then uses its own funds to cover the difference between the maximum possible federal reimbursement and what schools actually receive so that all kids can get meals at no cost to them.
The reality is if fewer eligible families participate in SNAP, some schools — even in New York — could lose some federal support. As more of the cost falls on the state, they might not be able to absorb those additional expenses, leaving schools to face difficult decisions about how to keep universal meal programs going.
School meals provide enormous financial relief for families. A 2025 estimate found that free breakfast and lunch can save a family $165 per child each month in grocery spending, or roughly $1,600 over the course of a school year.
But school meals don’t simply benefit household budgets. They are also an investment in children’s ability to learn. When children have consistent access to nutritious food, they are better positioned to concentrate, participate in class and succeed academically. Universal school meals also eliminate paperwork and reduce the stigma that can come with free meal programs. Children can simply sit down and enjoy meals with their classmates, regardless of how much their parents earn.
Article continues below this ad
Our state has made tremendous progress toward ensuring that a child’s ability to eat at school doesn’t depend on their ZIP code or their family’s income. We should be strengthening that commitment.
The Senate has an opportunity to address these challenges in the next Farm Bill, which governs SNAP. Lawmakers should reverse the harmful changes to SNAP and protect families’ access to critical food assistance.
And as policymakers debate SNAP’s future, they must consider its full impact. Decisions about grocery assistance can affect the resources available in school cafeterias, the budgets of local school districts and, ultimately, whether children have reliable access to nutritious meals.
As New York’s students return to their classrooms this fall, we should be strengthening the nutrition programs that support them from the kitchen table to the cafeteria.
Article continues below this ad
Protecting SNAP is part of protecting school meals — and protecting every child’s opportunity to learn and thrive.
Rachel Sabella is the director of No Kid Hungry New York.
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