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NY POLITICS

Council, Education Officials Spar Over FreeLunchThe de Blasio Administration Says the Plan Could Hurt Federal Funding for Low-Income Students

May 28, 2014 1:53 p.m. ET

A City Council proposal to provide universal free lunch in New York City public schools continues

to be a rare point of disagreement between Mayor Bill de Blasio and his closest allies.

At a rally on Wednesday outside City Hall, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito called the

$24 million lunch proposal—which wasn't included in Mr. de Blasio's $73.9 billion executive budget

—the utmost priority.

"We're going to make sure [New York City schools] Chancellor Carmen Fariña and the

Department of Education know how much of a difference universal free lunch will make in the lives

of children and families," she said.

City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito earlier in May. Kevin Hagen for The Wall Street Journal

By MARA GAY

6/1/2014 New York City Council, Department of Education Officials Spar Over Free Lunch Plan in Schools - WSJ

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Earlier

Free Student Meals Bid Stalls Under deBlasio

New York Mayor's Plan to Expand SchoolLunch Hits Snags

But Ms. Fariña said the education department

believed the plan could affect important federal

funding for city schools under the federal Title One

program. Title One allocates federal dollars for a

variety of programs at low-income schools based in

part on the application forms filled out by parents for

free or reduced-price school lunches.

"We're exploring that," she said of the proposal

during a budget hearing Wednesday on education at

the City Council, where Ms. Mark-Viverito asked her

about her position on the issue. "Our major fear is

how using this money will affect Title One funding."

While the total amount of Title One funding would

remain the same, education officials said

implementing free lunch could affect the distribution

of the money across the city. That could leave

some schools with budget gaps.

"We are very interested in it and we are pursuing it," Deputy Schools Chancellor Kathleen Grimm

told council members. But, she said, "we know that some schools would be winners and some

would be losers."

A spokesman for the mayor referred to Ms. Farina's comments at the hearing.

Ms. Mark-Viverito, Public Advocate Letitia James, and others in favor of universal free lunch say it

will help students living in poverty who need the meal but may be too embarrassed to come

forward.

One-third of the 780,000 students who qualify for free or reduced lunch don't receive it, according

to advocates.

Ms. Mark-Viverito, an East Harlem Democrat who is a close ally of Mr. de Blasio, said she was

shocked by the administration's response.

"I would think that being in New York City, with as much innovation and creativity that we have, that

we could find other ways other than the [application] forms to capture information to make sure

that Title One is not impacted," the council speaker said.

Ms. James, also a Democrat and another ally of Mr. de Blasio, was more pointed.

"You just don't get it," she told the education officials, after rattling off a list of half a dozen school

districts across the U.S. that have already implemented the program. "I just think the Department

of Education has a fundamental misunderstanding of the program."

New York City Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina

during a visit to a school in Brooklyn on April 7 Getty

Images

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Ms. Mark-Viverito said making lunch free to all 1.1 million New York City public school students

would lead to what advocates have said would be an estimated 20% increase in children who

participate.

Students from families of four earning less than $30,615 are eligible for free lunch. Students from

families of four making less than $43,568 qualify for reduced-price lunch. About 75% of New York

City School students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Kristina Erskine, 18, said some students are mocked for receiving free lunch.

"There's a lot of jokes," said Ms. Erskine, a senior at the Academy for Environmental Leadership in

Brooklyn who came to City Hall to rally for the lunch program. "People don't want to get the lunch

because it makes them look poor. It's very uncomfortable."

Write to Mara Gay at mara.gay@wsj.com

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