Provide free school lunches to all students in Georgia
Provide free school lunches to all students in Georgia
The Issue
In Barrow County, Georgia, students are allowed to charge only five meals once their lunch account runs out of money. After that, they are given an “alternative meal,” which consists of just two slices of bread and a slice of cheese. This is happening in a school system where 60–70% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, yet the district cannot participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which would allow all students to receive free breakfast and lunch without paperwork.
This is a major issue.
As a parent in Georgia, I’ve seen how much a simple, nourishing lunch can change a child’s day—how it helps them settle in, concentrate, and actually be ready to learn. Kids shouldn’t have to earn that through paperwork. It shouldn’t matter whether a parent fills out a free or reduced lunch form; children can’t control forms, deadlines, internet access, language barriers, or everything else adults are juggling. And students shouldn’t suffer the consequences of something they have no power over.
Right now, too many children in our state come to school hungry, and hunger doesn’t stay quiet—it shows up in attention, behavior, attendance, and confidence. In Georgia, about 1 in 5 kids face hunger, and that reality follows them straight into the classroom. When students have consistent access to school meals, the benefits are clear: better health, stronger academic outcomes, and fewer absences and behavioral referrals.
That’s why I support free lunch for all students in Georgia. It removes stigma, closes gaps created by paperwork, and makes sure every child can focus on learning—not on whether lunch is available.
Please join me in urging Georgia’s leaders to guarantee free school lunches for all students, so hunger is never a barrier to education.
House of Representatives:
Holt Persinger - kholt.persinger@house.ga.gov
Houston Gaines - houston.gaines@house.ga.gov
Chuck Efstration - chuck.efstration@house.ga.gov
Senate:
Frank Ginn - frank.ginn@senate.ga.gov
Clint Dixon - cling.dixon@senate.ga.gov
598
The Issue
In Barrow County, Georgia, students are allowed to charge only five meals once their lunch account runs out of money. After that, they are given an “alternative meal,” which consists of just two slices of bread and a slice of cheese. This is happening in a school system where 60–70% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, yet the district cannot participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which would allow all students to receive free breakfast and lunch without paperwork.
This is a major issue.
As a parent in Georgia, I’ve seen how much a simple, nourishing lunch can change a child’s day—how it helps them settle in, concentrate, and actually be ready to learn. Kids shouldn’t have to earn that through paperwork. It shouldn’t matter whether a parent fills out a free or reduced lunch form; children can’t control forms, deadlines, internet access, language barriers, or everything else adults are juggling. And students shouldn’t suffer the consequences of something they have no power over.
Right now, too many children in our state come to school hungry, and hunger doesn’t stay quiet—it shows up in attention, behavior, attendance, and confidence. In Georgia, about 1 in 5 kids face hunger, and that reality follows them straight into the classroom. When students have consistent access to school meals, the benefits are clear: better health, stronger academic outcomes, and fewer absences and behavioral referrals.
That’s why I support free lunch for all students in Georgia. It removes stigma, closes gaps created by paperwork, and makes sure every child can focus on learning—not on whether lunch is available.
Please join me in urging Georgia’s leaders to guarantee free school lunches for all students, so hunger is never a barrier to education.
House of Representatives:
Holt Persinger - kholt.persinger@house.ga.gov
Houston Gaines - houston.gaines@house.ga.gov
Chuck Efstration - chuck.efstration@house.ga.gov
Senate:
Frank Ginn - frank.ginn@senate.ga.gov
Clint Dixon - cling.dixon@senate.ga.gov
598
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Petition created on April 24, 2026