While Rep. Justine Caldwell of East Greenwich believes universal free school lunches would pay off in improved academic achievement among other benefits, Warwick Assistant Superintendent William McCaffrey says if the city had to pay the tab it would cost an additional $16.7 million annually not including federal funding of free and reduced lunches and “we have limited resources.”

Introduced two weeks ago, the legislation is aimed at ensuring all students are well-fed so they can focus on learning at school, and to eliminate distinctions among children based on family income, according to a release.

“High-quality, universal lunch in schools is an investment that will pay off in better academic achievement, fewer discipline problems and healthier kids who have a better day at school. Instead of concerning ourselves with which families can or can’t or should pay for it, we should be focusing on how we can seize school lunch as opportunity to improve nutrition and outcomes for an entire generation of growing children,” Caldwell said in the release.

From the onset of the pandemic, school lunch was provided to all students nationwide for free thanks to federal emergency funding and waivers. That funding expired at the start of the current school year, and most Rhode Island districts began charging students once again. Providence and Central Falls, as well as seven schools in Pawtucket and one in North Kingstown, continue to provide universal free school lunch because they qualify for federal funding based on income communitywide.

Warwick, like other communities that resumed charging for lunch, saw an up tick in delinquent payments. Warwick continues to offer free lunches to families whose incomes fall below 130 percent of the poverty level, and at a reduced price for those whose family income falls between 130 percent and 185 percent of the poverty level.

According to the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), about 62 percent of school lunches served statewide are either free or reduced-price.

Neighboring Massachusetts, as well as a handful of other states, chose to continue universal free school lunch at least through the 2022-2023 school year, paying for it with state funds.

Caldwell doesn’t say who would pay for the universal free lunch program,

McCaffrey, however, calculated the cost if the district was to pick up the full price tag.

Based on a student population of 8,724 and a cost of $10 per day times 180 school days the cost would be $15,703,200. He estimates it would cost another $1 million to staff the program.

Asked for his opinion, David Testa, chair of the Warwick School Committee, texted, “I have a philosophical problem with universal free lunch because, in my view, those who can afford to pay should pay.” He said the district’s lunch debt from students and parents not paying has a run rate of $10,000 per month and that the debt totaled $40,000 as of Nov. 29.

“We have a couple of school years of experience with universal free lunch, and I’m confident that if we look at that experience, we will find that students, families and schools were all better for it. Besides the important goal of ensuring that no child goes hungry at school, making school lunch free for everyone will eliminate stigmas, put an end to lunch shaming and lunch debt for good and create a situation where more people are invested in ensuring that school lunch is healthy and appealing,” said Caldwell in a statement. She could not be reached for follow up questions as to how the lunches would be financed.