The Center for Public Policy Priorities supports HB 2574. Why encourage school districts to offer free meals to all students? The link between adequate nutrition and improved academic performance creates a clear incentive for Texas to increase participation in the school breakfast and lunch programs, particularly among low-income children. Provision 2 is an option in the federal School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program for schools to reduce the paperwork and simplify the logistics of operating school meals programs. Schools with high percentages of students eligible for free or reduced price school meals are the most likely to succeed with Provision 2. In general, school districts that are implementing Provision 2 have determined that they can operate Provision 2 without losing money in schools with as few as 60 to 75 percent of students eligible for free or reduced price school meals. However, any school that participates in the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program may opt for Provision 2. Even schools with predominantly higher-income students may decide to opt for Provision 2 in order to improve the diets and academic performance of their students. Combined, these two provisions can help increase the number of eligible children receiving free meals, while decreasing the number of kids who are not eligible.