Copyright WDIV ClickOnDetroit
Some Metro Detroit school districts are strengthening their food assistance programs as families brace for the potential pause of SNAP benefits due to the government shutdown. “Education takes a back seat to children who are hungry, and so as a district, we’re going to do everything we can to make sure that we can feed these families,” said Dr. Derrick R. Coleman, River Rouge School District Superintendent. For River Rouge School District, where student nutrition has long been a priority, the stakes are particularly high. The district already goes beyond the state’s free meal program by offering dinner service and partnering with food banks to support families. “We take a lot of things into consideration, even with snow days or bad weather, because we know there are students that depend on us to eat,” said Stevon Scott, River Rouge School District’s Corporate and Community Affairs Director. As SNAP benefits are set to be interrupted next month due to the government shutdown, the district is preparing to increase its support. “We have the infrastructure in place, but we are asking for more in quantity,” Scott said. In the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD), approximately 75% of students’ families rely on food stamps. DPSCD officials warn that discontinuing SNAP benefits “will inevitably negatively impact students and their families,” noting it could lead to “increased levels of absenteeism, behavioral issues, and reduced levels of student achievement.” Educational leaders are urging federal lawmakers to address the crisis. “For the people in Washington who have not experienced hunger or who don’t understand what that need is, come into a place and talk to a child who’s hungry and look at them and tell them that they don’t matter, because that’s the message that we’re sending if we cannot figure out how to continue these benefits,” Coleman said.
