Sid Miller, the state's agriculture commissioner, assured Texans on Thursday that public school students in need will still get their free and reduced breakfasts and lunches.
As the nation prepares for SNAP benefits to halt on Saturday, leaders turned their attention to public schools. For millions of students, school is the most reliable source of meals.
Miller said the Texas Department of Agriculture will stand in the gap, and called the government shutdown causing the halt in SNAP funding "this damaging Schumer shutdown."
"Texas families can count on us," Miller said in a statement on Thursday. "Whether it's in a big city cafeteria or a small-town lunchroom, no child will be left to wonder if there'll be a meal waiting for them at school. We will continue to work hand-in-hand with USDA, Secretary Brooke Rollins, the Trump Administration, and our local partners to make sure every student in Texas is fed. This is a promise we've made, and one we will keep."
When Congress and the Senate passed the omnibus bill earlier this year, it included a 20% cut to SNAP benefits through 2034. Schools aren't funded directly by SNAP, but when households lose their eligibility for SNAP, they also lose their automatic eligibility for the free and reduced-cost meal program that subsidizes breakfast and lunch. The bill also cut funding to local farms, many of which have been able to supply public schools in their communities with fresh, whole foods. The cuts are expected to trim almost $200 billion from the federal budget.
In August, Denton ISD leaders told the Denton Record-Chronicle that nearly 50% of the students in the district are eligible for free and reduced meals.
As enrollment has grown (the district lost a few hundred students between 2024-25), a larger share of the student body became eligible for subsidized meals.
For the 2025-26 budget, child nutrition is projected to cost Denton ISD $25 million.
The district expects to spend $3.8 million from the National School Breakfast Program. Lunches, though, really expose the need, with $12.5 million from the National School Lunch Program.
When students push their trays through the breakfast and lunch line this school year, they can choose from $1.6 million in donated commodities, which are bulk raw foods from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Schools can buy them to serve whole, or process them into ready-to-eat meals and snacks.
As the government shutdown wears on — Congressional Democrats have vowed to vote against re-opening the government unless Republicans agree to extend expiring tax credits that make health insurance cheaper for millions of Americans — corporate layoffs have exacerbated the need for public assistance. Nonprofits that relieve hunger have sounded the alarm, saying demand for community-based food pantries is rising as donor budgets tighten.
Miller said many young Texans are guaranteed to get fed at school.
"The Texas Department of Agriculture has instituted safeguards to ensure that Texas school meals will keep being served and that meal reimbursements will continue to be paid to our school districts on schedule," Miller said. "Texas schools will keep serving healthy breakfasts and lunches and our students will keep getting the nutrition they need to learn and grow."
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