Cove man continues push for statewide school lunch policy change

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press 

A little more than one year ago, Copperas Cove resident Kelvin Holt witnessed something while working as a substitute teacher that caused him to take action on an issue, now called “lunch shaming.” 

In February 2016, Holt said he witnessed a four-year-old KISD student’s breakfast tray being taken away because there was no money in her account, after which she sat inconsolable for the next 20 minutes without a meal while her classmates enjoyed their breakfasts. Unlike lunchtime, during which students without money on their accounts will often receive an alternate meal, depending on a school district’s policy, that’s not the case at breakfast, Holt said. The way the law is currently written, it leaves a grace period up to school districts to decide and only includes lunch, not breakfast.

Holt began to push for the 2017 Texas legislature to require school districts to provide meals to students, regardless of their meal account balance. He doesn’t believe children should receive the consequences of an adult’s mistake or oversight. In the case of KISD at that time, the district had a one-lunch grace period, meaning they will provide one lunch after a child’s account is depleted. Breakfast wasn’t included in that policy. 

Holt launched a petition on Change.org which as of May 21 has 113,631 supporters. The petition focused on asking Rep. Senfronia Thompson to amend HB 3562, from a prior legislative session, and introduce the proposed changes to the law in the 2017 session.

Holt said initially Rep. Thompson sought information to be included in the proposed amendment. She later withdrew her support, citing her need to focus on the issues of her own constituents, Holt said.

Undaunted, he pressed on. He emailed the 11 members of the Texas Senate Education Committee and the 11 members of the Texas House Committee on Public Education. They each received a copy of the proposed amendment, a sample of school district charge policies in Austin and the four school districts immediately surrounding Austin; and an Excel spreadsheet containing the comments of more than 11,000 petition supporters who listed Texas addresses. 

This year, HB 2159 was filed in the Texas legislature, calling for amended changes. The bill died in committee but Holt hoped that another bill, SB 725, which contained the language from HB 2159, would pass. Holt’s hopes took a nosedive last week, when Rep. Jonathan Stickland of Bedford amended SB 725 and removed Section 3 that included the key language from HB 2159. 

“As it stands now, SB 725 no longer supports our efforts to put an end to lunch shaming in Texas,” Holt said. 

The measure isn’t quite dead yet, though. Two bills that still in play, HB 367 and SB 1696, could also help the cause. 

Holt said HB 367 has bipartisan support and may have the best chance of surviving this week, the final week of the legislative session which closes next week on May 29.

On Thursday, Holt said that HB 367 has a status of “Not again placed on intent calendar” as of the 23rd. “SB 1696 hasn’t had any action since the 18th,” he said. “I am NOT optimistic, I fear the lunch shaming in Texas will continue and unless the federal government has some success at THEIR level, I’ll be back at this in 2019 with the 86th legislature.”

Over the past year, Holt’s cause has attracted the attention of news media nationwide. He said the push for a change was tougher than he expected it to be. The military veteran, who served several combat tours overseas, admitted to being in tears at times over the cause he’s tried to advance. 

“I’m not asking for food to be ‘given away’ to these children; I’m not asking for districts to buy extra food. I just want the language changed so children won’t be penalized or shamed because of their parents. This is not a ‘liberal’ bill,” Holt said, adding that some have accused him of promoting “liberal” legislation. 

One thing that’s bothered him as his push to make this legislation a reality is the amount of “ugliness” that some individuals have responded with, such as some chastising “people who have children they can’t afford.”

At this point, his focus isn’t on the Change.org petition he started. Instead, he’s urging anyone who wants the state law regarding school lunch policy to be changed, to contact their Texas senator and ask them to vote yes on SB 725 and SB 1696; and contact their state representative and urge them to vote yes on HB 367. On his petition site, Holt gives the link to the Texas legislature where voters can locate their state senators and representatives: http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/Home.aspx. 

KISD’s meal policy has changed since last year. Now, it does not allow students to charge meals, but leaves an alternate meal choice up to the principal of each campus. 

As far as the meal policy for the Copperas Cove Independent School District, elementary school students are permitted to charge three meals; junior high, two meals; and high school, one meal. This policy includes both breakfast and lunch. 

Once the charge limit has been reached, elementary and junior high will not have their trays pulled. They will receive their hot tray, and the cashier will record it as an Alternate Hot Reimbursable Meal. Parents are still responsible for the alternate meal cost. At the high school, if a student doesn’t have funds to purchase a meal, then an alternate meal will be offered to include a cheese sandwich, a fruit and milk. If the high school student accepts the meal, it’s recorded as an alternate meal. If the student refuses it, then Refused Alternate Meal key will be used.