Little Rock leaders address food insecurity in schools

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — In 2024, the Little Rock City Board voted to approve a food commission aimed at reducing food insecurity in Little Rock’s school district. 

On Thursday, that commission as well as members in the school district met to announce new numbers related to the school lunch debt in Little Rock schools. 

“As someone who started out and spent some time as a student who was on reduced lunch, I can tell you how important food security is,” Frank Scott Jr., the mayor of Little Rock said.

Scott said that for the commission they are continuing to work to fight the food insecurity in the schools of the district.

“We’re waking up every day to address food insecurity in our city, whether there is a lack of fresh foods and quality foods in areas south of 630 east or anywhere in our entire city, they’re waking up every day to figure out policies, programs and solutions and understanding that we do have this meal debt issue,” Scott said.

Little Rock School District Superintendent Dr. Jermall Wright said that the programs with the schools and the sources for their food aren’t just helping students but also helping the local agriculture economy.

“This is more than just about serving meals. It’s a partnership that supports Arkansas farmers, boosts our local economy and ensures that our children are fueled to learn and thrive every single day. We also recognize that for many of our students, the meals they receive at school may be the only consistent nutrition that they receive, making our work even more crucial,” Wright said.

Wright went on to explain that when a family is in debt, it can affect more than just the student.

“When students carry meal debt, it creates stress, not only for families, but also for our schools, which are left to find ways to absorb the cost. We’re asking our community to join us in helping eliminate this burden. Time and time again, our community has stepped up to support our students, and we believe this is another moment we can come together to ensure that no child has to worry about whether they can afford to eat. Every child deserves to eat with dignity and with your help, we can make that a reality,” Wright said.

Stephanie Walker Hynes, the Director of the Little Rock School District’s Children Nutrition program went into the numbers, just to show how much debt there is in the district.

“Most of our schools have offered and been served both breakfast and lunch to those students at no charge, but for the schools that don’t qualify for that full support, that cost adds up fast for our families and for our district. This debt comes from just 13 of our Little Rock schools…the unpaid school meal balance was $174,121.89,” Hynes said.

“That number is not just a statistic, it represents real children in real classrooms who are trying to learn while their families struggle to afford basic needs. No child should have to worry about whether or not they can eat a meal at school. We believe access to meals at schools is a right and not a privilege, and as a community, we have the power to lift this burden and ensure that every student is treated with dignity and care,” Hynes said.

Hynes went on to call on the community to help fight the ongoing food insecurity problem that students in Little Rock are facing.

“That’s why this school commission is calling on individuals, businesses, faith groups, civic organizations across Little Rock to join us in wiping out this debt together, every dollar donated helps close the gap and open the doors for a more equitable future for all of our students,” Hynes said.