Bellows testifies in favor of bill to prevent food shaming in schools

AUGUSTA — Sen. Shenna Bellows, D-Manchester, testified in favor of a bipartisan bill to ban food shaming in public schools at a hearing before the Legislature’s Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs on Wednesday.

Last year, a constituent approached Sen. Bellows with a story of her daughter being called out by the school’s principal at an assembly and told she wouldn’t be allowed to graduate if her outstanding meal debt was not paid.

The constituent’s daughter owed $2.10.

“Children need to be fed to learn. Food should not be a source of punishment or shame,” said Sen. Bellows. “This commonsense bill protects our children and provides best practices for schools to follow.”

The bill – LD 167 “An Act To Prevent Food Shaming in Maine’s Public Schools” – requires schools to provide meals to students who qualify for free or reduced meals, regardless of their ability to pay, and to work with the student’s parents or guardians to resolve payment issues. Additionally, schools would be prohibited from punishing, openly identifying, or publicly stigmatizing students for meal debts.

This year, Sen. Bellow and other lawmakers had submitted legislation on this topic but, pursuant to legislative rules, the bills were combined and sponsored by the first legislator to submit the bill, Rep. Jan Dodge, D-Belfast.

“Maslow’s hierarchy of needs has our physiological needs – including food and drink – at the very base,” said Grace Leavitt, a high school teacher and president of the Maine Education Association. “Simply put, we cannot expect hungry kids to learn.”

Six other states have implemented legislation similar to LD 167.

Last year’s bill, LD 1684, had bipartisan support but died when the Legislature adjourned before the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee took action on the bill.

The Education Committee will vote on LD 167 in the coming weeks before sending the bill for votes before the full Maine Legislature.