MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – After weeks of controversy and community backlash, the Manitowoc Public School District (MPSD) will once again begin offering free meals to all students starting Monday.
In a news release Wednesday, MPSD announced that it has received permission to re-enter into the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), a federal program that allows all students to receive breakfast and lunch at no cost.
Manitowoc residents packed a school board meeting Oct. 10, most to voice their opposition after Superintendent James Feil made the decision — without school board approval — to return to the pre-pandemic model providing free or reduced meals to only eligible students.
That decision led to nearly untouched food being thrown away for those who didn’t have money to pay, according to sophomore Jacqueline Dramm.
“It was sickening for so many reasons, but mostly because my peers are being shown the garbage can deserves the food more than they do.”
According to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, MPSD is the lone qualifying district in the state that opted out of the federal CEP program.
After significant public pressure and more than 1,000 signatures on an online petition calling for his resignation or termination, Feil reversed his stance on the issue and initiated the process of re-enrolling in the CEP last week.
On Friday, Feil told FOX 11 he changed his mind, despite still believing free meals for all isn’t the most responsible use of taxpayer money.
Amid continued community concerns about making sure no Manitowoc Public School District children go hungry, I have made the decision, with support from our Board of Education, to resume a federal universal school meal program this school year,” Superintendent James Feil wrote on Nov. 1. “My bottom line is that I do not want any children to go hungry, and our principals and Solutions Teams will work to look for any children who may fall through any gaps to ensure they are fed.
“We need to stop all the excessive conversation on this topic and get back to instruction,” said Feil. “It was really distracting in our efforts to raise student achievement levels.”
Feil says his number one priority is raising reading proficiency levels, as 70% of students in the district are not reading at grade level.
