A plan in Congress could strip over 2 million New York children of access to free school meals, according to a new study from two national policy groups.
The proposal, led by House Budget Chair Jodey Arrington, seeks $12 billion in cuts to school meal programs by raising eligibility standards for the Community Eligibility Program, which currently helps high-poverty schools offer free meals. If approved, 1,784 New York schools would lose coverage, affecting more than 900,000 students.
Advocates say the move would hurt families already struggling with food costs and erase progress made under recent federal expansions.
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