Email the MMSD School Board to Spend Potential Operating Referendum Money on Free School Meals!
Use the draft email script below to send an email to the entire Madison Metropolitan School Board and Superintendent Gothard. Modify the script to add your own personal story. Email board@madison.k12.wi.us, and please BCC MADSA.schoolmeals@gmail.com so we can track our progress!
SUBJECT: Fund Free School Meals for Madison if Operating Referendum Passes
Hello MMSD School Board and Administration,
I am a member of the Madison community who cares deeply about creating and investing in an equitable public school system. I know our state has defunded MMSD for over a decade, which is why I’m actively encouraging my community to support the passage of both the Operating and Capital referendums.
I call on MMSD to transition to a free school lunch model by the 2026/2027 school year with the passage of the $100 million operating referendum.
Any barrier to consistent, free and healthy school meals for Madison’s students is unacceptable. Charging families for school lunch is an immediate barrier to students who cannot afford it and creates a stigma for students on free or reduced lunch or who have high school meal debt. The structure also forces the Food and Nutrition Department (FND) to act as debt collectors which adds administrative costs and harms relationships with MMSD families.
Switching to universal free school lunches is an equity-based, moral demand of our school district. Healthier and universal access to meals provides meaningful financial and nutritional support to students and families. Better nutrition also leads to improved educational outcomes and better student behavior. The benefits far outweigh the costs.
Specifically, I call on the MMSD School Board to commit to the following investments in the budget notes of the 2024-2025 budget:
- Transition to a Community Eligibility Provision school district by the 2026/2027 school year at the latest (with at least 10 more CEP schools by the 2025/2026 school year).
- Until MMSD moves to be a CEP district, allocate additional money to the FND in order to settle all school meal debt once per semester, instead of continuing to settle debt annually by taking funding directly from the FND department’s operating budget.
- Invest in Food and Nutrition staff in order to meet increased demands associated with free school meal models without compromising continuing investments in food quality.
- Invest to increase healthy and culturally relevant meal options, including scratch cooking.
Sincerely,
ADD YOUR NAME. ADD YOUR ADDRESS if you live in the MMSD boundaries.