As Arkansas Expands School Meal Access, Federal Actions Create Uncertainty

Over the past two years, the Arkansas General Assembly and Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders have approved measures aimed at ensuring all public school students in the state have access to healthy school meals. However, the Trump administration’s push for deep cuts to federal spending is creating uncertainty about the future of school meal programs nationwide.

Federal Threats

As part of his “Make America Healthy Again” campaign, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said schools should offer students healthier meals. However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced in March it was eliminating the Local Food for School Cooperative Agreement Program, which was set to provide $660 million in 2025 for the purchase of food from local farms for schools and childcare facilities. About 74% of U.S. schools participate in farm-to-school programs, according to the USDA, and in Arkansas the percentage is even higher at 84%. The cancellation of federal support for such programs may prompt schools to shift to less expensive, and less healthy, food sources.

In May, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a budget reconciliation bill that proposes steep cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. The cuts are still subject to negotiation as the bill moves through the Senate, but the version passed by the House would cut $267 billion in SNAP funding by 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). SNAP does not fund school meals, but students are directly certified for free school meals if their households participate in SNAP.

The CBO also estimates that the budget bill would reduce federal subsidies to Medicaid by $698 billion. Most states, including Arkansas, directly certify children for free and/or reduced-price school meals using Medicaid data and a means test. If low-income families lose access to SNAP or Medicaid, they will have to complete school meal applications, adding an administrative burden for schools and families that could increase the risk of some children falling through the cracks.

State Actions

During the Arkansas General Assembly’s 2023 regular legislative session, lawmakers approved a bill to allow students who qualify, based on family income level, for reduced-price school breakfast and lunch meals to receive those meals at no cost to them. In separate legislation, lawmakers approved using proceeds from state taxes on medical marijuana to cover the increased cost to the state. In the 2022-23 school year, about 46,000 of Arkansas’ nearly 477,000 public school students qualified for reduced price school meals, with parents typically facing co-pays of 40 cents per school lunch and 30 cents per school breakfast.

In January 2024, Sanders announced that Arkansas would address food insecurity during the summer months by participating in the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program for Children, also known as “Summer EBT,” a federal program that provides grocery-buying benefits during the summer break for families with school-age children who qualify for free or reduced-price school lunches.

During the 2025 regular session, Arkansas lawmakers and Sanders continued to expand access to school meals by approving a bill to make school breakfasts free to all public school students, regardless of family income level, beginning in the 2025-26 school year. Again, the state will use medical marijuana tax revenue to cover increased costs.

The Childhood Hunger Crisis

Sanders announced in November 2024 that Arkansas would continue to participate in the Summer EBT program in 2025, stating, “Childhood hunger is a crisis — across America and especially in Arkansas.” Government statistics bear this out. According to the USDA, 47.4 million Americans experienced food insecurity — defined as the condition of having limited or uncertain access to adequate food — in 2023, including 13.8 million children. The state with the highest rate of food insecurity in 2023 was Arkansas at 18.9%.

School meals are a key source of nutrition for many children. Schools are required to serve a variety of fruits, vegetables, and meats, and they must follow federal guidelines restricting portion size, sugar, sodium, and other elements. If children do not receive proper nutrition, student performance and child development can be negatively impacted. In a 2017 survey, 80% of teachers said they observed hunger affecting students’ ability to concentrate. Multiple studies have shown that hunger, food insecurity, and moving in and out of food insecurity negatively impact children’s cognitive and behavioral development. Educators and health advocates are watching closely as policymakers in Washington weigh decisions that could have sweeping impacts on children’s access to healthy food.