Sharon Springs may be the only local school district serving free meals this year, but other districts are close to that point.
And although providing healthy, free meals to students is good, it’s also an indication of how poor the area is.
The scale is the percentage of students eligible for free and reduced meals. In Sharon’s case, the percentage reached 67 percent last year, which means all students will qualify for free breakfasts and lunches.
A federal grant will pay for the meals, though there is a small local share.
In most nearby districts, the percentage of students receiving free and reduced meals isn’t as high as at Sharon Springs. Cobleskill-Richmondville, Middleburgh, Jefferson and Worcester are at about 50 percent, while Schoharie is in the high 40s.
Gilboa-Conesville is at 65 percent, though the district doesn’t qualify for the free meals yet.
Cobleskill-Richmondville actually qualified to provide free meals last year, but officials chose not to enter the program.
“It’s not really free,” said Superintendent Carl Mummenthey. “It would have cost the district about $30,000, and that would have shifted to taxpayers.”
Even though the districts other than Sharon Springs haven’t reached the tipping point, administrators said the numbers are trending higher.
Why?
Several administrators believe the cause is the sagging Upstate economy.
“This is just my opinion, but I think there’s been a slow recovery from the Great Recession,” said Schoharie’s Bob Bonaker, who on Thursday was on his last day as the district’s business administrator.
“The middle class here might be lagging behind the rest of the country.”
Middleburgh Superintendent Michele Weaver agreed, adding that many jobs here are on the low end of the pay scale.
“Some of the jobs are at poverty level, and more families are eligible [for students’ free and reduced meals],” Ms. Weaver said.
“The jobs pay less and people are still working, but the cost of everything is rising.”
Cobleskill-Richmondville’s Mr. Mummenthey sounded a more ominous note. He believes that in his district, the number of families at or below the poverty level hasn’t increased, but higher-end families have left.
“I think people with more economic means are leaving,” he said. “That means there aren’t larger numbers [of poverty], but there’s a larger percentage of poverty.
“We serve a high-needs population.”
In some cases––Jefferson––school officials have made more of an effort to reach families eligible for free and reduced meals.
“There’s definitely a percentage of people who have not taken part,” said Superintendent Brian Corey.
“But there’s increased awareness now, and with times a little harder, they do take part.”
Worcester is also trying to reach more families.
“We try to get to the families that need help, as long as they’re comfortable with it,” said Superintendent Bill Diamond.
Ms. Weaver, too, noted that there’s a “comfort level” with signing up for free and reduced meals.
Across Schoharie County, she said, some parents are too proud to accept help.
Acknowledging that point, Mr. Bonaker argued that officials should try to convince families that need help should take it.
“We have to remove the stigma,” Mr. Bonaker said. “There’s not a stigma if a family doesn’t have enough to eat.”
Gilboa-Conesville appears to be a special case. Although the percentage of students getting free and reduced meals is high, the district doesn’t qualify for the free program.
“I think it is because while we have a high free and reduced lunch rate, on paper our district is considered average needs and not high needs,” Superintendent Ruth Reeve wrote in an email.
“Our incomes are skewed because of the number of second homeowners and also the Gilboa Reservoir. We have low incomes but expensive property.”