New York Governor Kathy Hochul dropped in during lunch at Eagle Point Elementary School in Albany Thursday o promote food assistance programs.
Hochul, a Democrat, sat down and chatted with children in the school cafeteria before addressing reporters.
She promoted a State of the State proposal for New York to subsidize the cost of school meals. The visit came less than two weeks before the new state budget is due.
“Albany County, right now gets $6 million from the federal government to give these children the nutrition they need for breakfast and lunch, and that is in jeopardy with the elimination of the Department of Education we just learned officially about today. So that's a $2 billion hit for New York State if they eliminate this program. We're very concerned about it, and this absolutely flies in the face of what I'm trying to do here in the state of New York, which is to make life more affordable for people, which is why, in my budget, I propose to cover the complete cost of breakfast and lunch for families. Per child, it is going to be $1600 back in their pockets. Two kids, it's $3200 you do the math,” Hochul said.
Recalling her tenure on the Albany School Board prior to entering the legislature in 2013, State Senator Pat Fahy, also a Democrat, warned the Trump administration's moves could lead to children going hungry, and notes there's also a potential negative impact on farmers.
“The thought that we are facing possibly billions of dollars in cuts, which will translate to millions in cuts to our school lunch program, is just devastating. If a child is hungry or stressed, they cannot focus on their education. The school lunch program has existed for a number of decades because we know it is paramount to helping students focus,” said Fahy.
Democratic Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said parents and other concerned residents should contact their member of Congress.
"I heard from children who are delighted to be able to have lunch here. A number of them take advantage of having breakfast here, and all of us need to be deeply concerned by the cuts that are being proposed in Washington," Sheehan said.
Hochul says if the federal government cuts off funding for school lunches, there is no way the state can make up for the loss. Her office says free school meals save families approximately $165 per child in grocery spending each month and have been shown to support learning, boost test scores, and improve attendance and classroom behavior.
