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Food Insecurity on the Rise in Grand Forks School District

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Food insecurity has become a pressing issue in the Grand Forks School District, with a significant increase in student participation in the free and reduced meal program. The district's director of child nutrition, Wendy Mankie, attributes the rise to several factors, including changes to state policy, higher food and living costs, lingering impacts of COVID-19, and federal cuts to SNAP benefits and other assistance programs.

Key Takeaways:

  • The number of students participating in the free and reduced meal program in the Grand Forks School District has increased from 22% in 2021 to 35% in 2023.
  • Student lunch debt in the district has exceeded $83,000, with 35% of students on the free and reduced meal program.
  • Changes to North Dakota policy that raised the income threshold for families to qualify for free and reduced meals have contributed to the increase in students on the program.
  • High costs of living, funding cuts to federal assistance programs, and lingering impacts of COVID-19 have increased food insecurity in the region.
  • Cuts to SNAP benefits will make it harder for families to access nutritious food outside of school and will create more work for families to get their students on the free and reduced meals program.
  • Policy during COVID-19 has had lingering effects on student lunch debt, with families getting used to not paying for meals during the pandemic.
  • District leaders agree that all students will be fed, regardless of their debt balance, and that attendance should not be affected by lunch debt.

Statistics:

  • 35% of students in the Grand Forks School District are on the free and reduced meal program, up from 22% in 2021.
  • Student lunch debt in the district has exceeded $83,000.
  • 6,755 residents in Grand Forks County were recipients of SNAP in fiscal year 2022, 9% of the total recipients in the state.
  • Both bills that would have provided K-12 students free school meals through different funding sources failed to pass in the North Dakota House.
  • Minnesota's Free Meals for Kids bill offers free school meals to every student, regardless of income, starting in the 2023-2024 school year.

Sources:

  • "Food Insecurity on the Rise in Grand Forks School District" by Sophia Herman (Grand Forks Herald, September 12)
  • "North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services" (latest data available)
  • "CNBC" (August article on SNAP cuts)
  • "Rep. Zac Ista, D-Grand Forks" (January interview with the Herald)
  • "Minnesota's Free Meals for Kids bill" (signed by Gov. Tim Walz in 2023)
  • "East Grand Forks Public Schools District" (statement by Superintendent Kevin Grover)

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