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Community members raise school-meal and college-advising concerns at Community Board 11 meeting
Summary
During the gallery session, a resident asked whether New York City public schools provide free lunches for all students and urged cultural food programming; a retired educator described All 4 Years College Coaching, a college-advising service that offers both paid and pro bono help to local students.
During the gallery session of the Community Board 11 Education, Culture and Youth Services Committee meeting, community speakers raised concerns about school meals and promoted local college-advising services.
Kate Cardona, a community member, asked whether "in New York, does every kid get free lunch in the public school system?" Cardona said she was concerned children could be "going hungry, possibly," and suggested schools might use food around cultural celebrations to foster community understanding. "Food is crucially important," she said, and proposed that schools use culturally themed meals to introduce students to different traditions.
A committee member responded during the meeting that, after a quick check, school meals in New York City are provided "free for all." The committee also pointed to the schools.nyc.gov site and its food-service survey as a source of information and feedback for families.
Gabrielle Johnson, a retiree of the New York State Board of Education and a former high school English teacher and college adviser, described her new business, All 4 Years College Coaching. "My company is called All 4 Years College Coaching," Johnson said. She said the service helps students through the college application process, completes essays, assists with financial aid and the CSS Profile, and — optionally — stays with students "all 4 years" of undergraduate study to support persistence and graduation. Johnson said her company charges fees but that she also does "a lot of work... pro bono or for free." She offered to post her contact information and website, All4years.com, in the board's chat and asked the committee to share the youth leadership award with her network.
The gallery session concluded without board action; members noted that schools' meal policies vary by city and encouraged community members to consult official school-district resources for definitive answers.
