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Phippsburg residents donate to erase student meal debt, but experts say school meals should be free after
Although families can apply for a child to receive free or reduced-priced meals based on a family s income and size, universally free school meals would be academically and financially beneficial.
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Phippsburg community members recently banded together to pay off student meal debt at Phippsburg Elementary School, but experts say free school meals for all students would be beneficial for financial, academic and health reasons.
Ann Marie Bartoo, left, and Anna Varian.
Contributed image
The U.S. Department of Agriculture implemented a Modified Summer Food Service Program, which suspends meal costs for the 2020-2021 academic year until Sept. 30 to relieve families of the cost during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the program doesn’t erase student meal debt families accrued prior to the pandemic.