Legislation would keep school libraries open at schools that serve free summer meals
(Rochester, N.Y.)—Today, Congressman Joe Morelle (D, NY-25) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) announced action to combat summer learning loss—which is especially prevalent in low-income communities. Their legislation, the Summer Meals and Learning Act, establishes a grant program to keep school libraries open that serve as summer meal sites, helping to close the achievement gap.
“For far too many children, the joy of summer break is often overshadowed by the dread of food insecurity and learning loss,” said Congressman Joe Morelle. “No child should ever have to go hungry, which is why I’m proud to partner with Senator Merkley to introduce our Summer Meals and Learning Act. This common-sense legislation will keep school libraries open during summer break, ensure children have reliable access to healthy meals, and help to close the achievement gap. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and Senate to swiftly pass this legislation into law and help set children on the path to success.”
“When school’s out for summer vacation, millions of children go months without learning opportunities and face the added challenge of worrying about when or where they’ll eat next,” said Senator Merkley. “Oregon has been a national leader in addressing this issue by keeping open school libraries when serving free summer meals. Our bill—the Summer Meals and Learning Act—gives students nationwide the same opportunity to get the high-quality education they deserve year-round.”
Summer learning loss is an issue in every community, but particularly in underserved neighborhoods. While affluent children often have access to extracurricular activities, too many low-income children lose access to learning opportunities—or never have access to begin with—when school is closed for the summer. By 5th grade, children without summer learning opportunities are two years behind their peers.
Based on Oregon’s successful grant program run at the state level, the Summer Meals and Learning Act will provide access to summer support helping students thrive year-round. The legislation would establish a new grant program to be run by the Department of Education that would provide grants to state libraries to allow schools to keep their libraries open for students during the summer months for schools that:
- Have a summer lunch program; and
- Have at least 50% of students reading below grade level or are at risk of reading below grade levels.
In addition to Merkley and Morelle, the Summer Meals and Learning Act is cosponsored by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ).
Anti-hunger and nutrition advocates reiterated the importance of these flexibilities and applauded the bill to keep critical flexibilities for school nutrition programs to feed children. Endorsing organizations include: the American Library Association, National Summer Learning Association, Share Our Strength, and Reading Is Fundamental.
Cindy Hohl, President of the American Library Association, said: “No matter how diligent a student is during the school year, it’s during the summer months that they are most at risk of losing ground in their learning. In many communities, the difference between a slip and the summer slide comes down to whether they have access to a library and nutritious food. The Summer Meals and Early Learning Act will empower school libraries to bridge the gaps between school years by nourishing both the minds and bodies of young students.”
Aaron Dworkin, CEO of the National Summer Learning Association, said: “For 30 years, the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) has worked to combat summer learning loss and close the achievement and opportunity gaps, which research shows grows most dramatically between lower and higher income students over the summer months. We are grateful to Senator Merkley and Congressman Morelle for introducing the bicameral Summer Meals and Learning Act, which would help close these inequalities. Investments from the federal government that bring together natural partners like schools and libraries––and include the critical summer meals component––help communities efficiently use resources and ensure that youth who are most at risk have access to summer supports that help them thrive year-round.”
Alicia Levi, President & CEO of Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), said: “During the summer months, it is critically important to ensure that students have access to books and reading resources, when students living in under-resourced communities are at highest risk of learning losses while school is out. This legislation is a significant step to ensuring children have access to books year-round, building a nation of lifelong readers.”
To learn more about this legislation, read the full text of the bill by clicking here.
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