By Elisee Voumadi, Math and Science Academy
Because Math and Science Academy (MSA) didn’t get enough funding and space to build a kitchen and cafeteria, we eat lunch brought from home on the stage. Nearly every day, I hear students echo through the halls: “I’m so hungry.” Some days those words come out of my mouth, too. Many of us struggle to stay focused in class because of the growling of our stomachs.
Food at schools shouldn’t be a luxury. School-provided meals should be guaranteed, protected from funding cuts, and made from quality ingredients so students can learn without worrying about hunger. In the U.S., school lunch is not prioritized the way it should be. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and National School Lunch Program (NSLP), which oversee and make the final decision in school meal funding around the US, are making decisions that don’t reflect students’ interests.
At MSA, the lack of meals, despite universal free meals in Minnesota, has affected my ability to learn. Hunger makes it hard to concentrate, participate, and sometimes even stay awake in class.
This issue isn’t just a problem at MSA. Many students across Minnesota rely on school lunches. A recent study by Second Harvest Heartland, one of the nation’s largest food banks, found that 26% of households with children in the state are food insecure. That means tens of thousands of children worry about whether they will have enough food at home or at school.
Despite this need, support for school-provided meals is shrinking. In March, the USDA cut $18 million in funding from school-provided meals, according to reporting from the Minnesota Reformer. Minnesota schools are feeling the effects at a time when US food inflation has surpassed 3%, driving up cost and making it harder for programs to provide affordable nutritious meals.
When funding is cut, meal quality can suffer. Schools may switch to cheaper and ultra-processed foods, which are not prohibited. Some may argue low quality food is better than none, but a study from the National Institutes of Health shows a link between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and higher risks of chronic diseases like obesity, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancer.”
Others might say students should just bring their own lunch before they go to school. But rising food prices make that less realistic. In an interview, my classmate Albiol Nya Checkou said, “it brings an extra responsibility upon me, which can sometimes lead to extra stress due to having to cook or buy something beforehand, which costs extra money.” Albiol also plays soccer, so juggling meal preps with school and sports is hard. Many students face similar challenges, especially families with limited food access or packed schedules.
If we don’t address this, students will keep falling behind, not because of the lack of effort or intelligence, but because they are hungry. Every student should be able to focus and thrive at school. If not, what’s the point of having school at all?
Instead of cutting funding for school meals, the USDA and NSLP should increase it to support engaged and fed students. At MSA we will keep bringing food from home this year. But after two decades, the school is finally planning a new building with a cafeteria. That’s a basic right every student should be able to count on.
Elisee worked with University of Minnesota student Muna Isse and MPR Producer Ngoc Bui to complete this story. This story was produced as part of ThreeSixty Journalism’s 2025 Opinion and Commentary Workshop for youth, in partnership with Sahan Journal and MinnPost.
