NYSHealth Releases Survey Results on NYC Voters' Opinions on Universal Free School Lunch
A new NYSHealth survey finds that 82% of New York City voters support universal free school lunch. Providing free lunch to all public school students, regardless of socio-economic status, receives strong backing in all five boroughs and across income and race.
The New York City Council has championed and prioritized universal free school lunch for the 2018 budget, despite its exclusion from Mayor de Blasio's Preliminary Budget. As legislators debate the City's budget in the weeks ahead, a strong majority of voters (74%) believe that Mayor de Blasio needs to do more to close the education inequality gap and that universal free school lunch is an important tool to address this issue.
New Yorkers agree that a free lunch program for all students from families of all income levels can improve children's physical and emotional health (88%), reduce stigma (79%), and positively impact academic performance and success for all students (86%).
Support for the program is intense: 72% of those surveyed say universal free school lunch should be a major priority for New York City, alongside other issues like affordable housing for seniors, police body cameras, and opening shelters for the homeless....