ATLANTA – State Representative Imani Barnes (D-Tucker) today issues the following statement after receiving confirmation from the DeKalb County School Board that they do not serve “alternative lunches” and that all students receive the same full lunch regardless of a family’s ability to pay:
“I want to thank DeKalb County Schools for reaffirming their commitment to feeding every child the same full meal every day. This matters tremendously, especially now. Access to nutritious food directly impacts learning, behavior, focus and emotional well-being. We are in a moment when many families are stretched thin as the federal SNAP freeze is in effect. Knowing that every child in DeKalb is being fed with dignity gives parents one less worry.
“While DeKalb County continues to provide the same standard lunch for all students, lunch balances still accumulate, which creates stress and financial burden for many households already navigating higher food costs.
“I am calling on local stakeholders, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, small businesses, civic groups and individual neighbors to join in a county-wide effort to help reduce or eliminate outstanding student lunch debt during this SNAP freeze period.
“If we come together as a community, we can keep parents from falling further behind and help ensure no one is trying to choose between paying bills and keeping their child nourished at school. These are our families. These are our children. We have the power to help.”
This statement comes after Rep. Barnes recently sent a letter to the school board urging them to temporarily halt the use of “alternative lunches” until the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) freeze is lifted.
The full text of Rep. Barnes letter may be found here.
Representative Imani Barnes represents the citizens of District 86, which includes a portion of DeKalb County. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2022 and currently serves on the Higher Education, Public & Community Health and Technology and Infrastructure Innovation committees.
###