WEST HAVEN, Utah (KUTV) — A former school lunch worker is calling for statewide changes to school meal programs after trying to alert officials about a hungry West Haven boy.
She argued that all students should have access to free meals, not just some.
What would it take to make this happen, and is it even feasible?
The former worker said that it was evident to her and other lunch staff that 12-year-old Gavin Peterson often arrived at school hungry. She believes that access to free meals could have made a significant difference for him.
Jann Davis began working at Gavin's elementary school during the COVID pandemic when all students received free meals.
She said, “I think it would have helped so much.”
Davis noticed Gavin digging through the trash for food, a behavior that started when the free meal program ended and families had to start paying.
“You can apply for reduced or free school lunches,” Davis said, “but you have to apply.”
Following conflicts with the family over attempts to feed Gavin at school, he was withdrawn for homeschooling last fall. Davis and her colleagues were left wondering if he was getting enough to eat.
When asked if having free meals from the start might have prevented the issue, Davis responded, “Yes.”
To understand more about the school meal programs, 2News reached out to the State Board of Education. While their staff was unavailable for comment Tuesday, 2News spoke with a legislator who is passionate about addressing hunger issues.
State Rep. Dan Johnson, a former educator who sponsored legislation for school breakfast programs, supports the idea of free meals for all students.
“From my experience, kids come to school hungry,” Johnson said.
Johnson explained that making school meals free for all students is currently a decision made by individual school districts rather than a state mandate. He added that while it’s not a legislative requirement, the state provides funding to the Department of Education, which distributes it to schools.
“I think the legislature could consider allocating more funds to these programs, allowing local districts to decide,” Johnson said.
Davis said she is ready to bring this issue to lawmakers, saying, “How many kids come to school hungry that we're not aware of? They deserve a free meal.”
While the State Board of Education couldn’t provide comments, they agreed to discuss the feasibility of providing free lunches for all students.
2News plans to follow up with them to explore this important issue further.