Amendment addresses food inequity for struggling families during weekends and school breaks

Council President Joy Hollingsworth (District 3) and Councilmember Dionne Foster (Position 9), supported by community advocates, are co-sponsoring an amendment to the Families, Education, Preschool and Promise (FEPP) Levy Implementation Plan. The amendment will provide food support for low-income families when students need them most: during weekends and school breaks throughout the lifetime of the levy. Funding would come by sequenced implementation of the Mayor’s proposed Universal School Meals Program by one year.

 “This amendment is about ensuring that resources reach the children and families with the greatest need while also building a strong, sustainable foundation for a citywide universal school meals program,” said Council President Hollingsworth. “This is a ‘both/and’ approach that we believe closes the food equity gap in Seattle. Our proposal simply postpones the tentative universal meal launch to the 2027–28 school year, which is still one year ahead of the state’s universal meals program. That funding will instead be redirected to close the crucial gap for weekend and school break meals, this upcoming school year and through the life of the levy. In the South End, I see firsthand that holiday, break, and weekend hunger is significant — a tragically overlooked need. I’m fully committed to getting this right for our kids and hunger should never be a political issue. Everyone here at City Hall shares the same simple values: every child should be able to eat, regardless of their income or circumstances, with no barriers.”

“Our proposal more than doubles the city resources going to students who have gaps in food access during weekends and school breaks,” said Councilmember Foster. “This is a commitment to ensuring students facing food insecurity get equitable investments and that families have the choice and flexibility to purchase foods that work for them — that is both an investment in wellness and in dignity. Our commitment builds on the universal meals already in place at 56 schools with resources to supplement hunger on breaks and weekends across the school district. No child should go hungry in our city, and by starting our expansion with the communities with the highest need we will make the biggest strides towards caring for all our children.”

“I am proud to co-sponsor these important amendments that address food equity. The delay is not denial. This is smart, equitable legislation that avoids a potentially unfunded mandate. These critical amendments do not take food from students. Indeed, we hope to feed all our children in the Seattle Public School system,” said Councilmember Debora Juarez (District 5). “Since 2017, the Sweetened Beverage Tax has generated $191 million to support local families, yet only $4 million has gone toward Healthy Food in Schools. That is less than 10% of our food investments and it only covers snacks, not complete meals. Students are still going hungry over breaks and weekends. This legislation directly addresses the need when and where it is needed most, and to whom needs it most.”

Additional quotes and community support

The amendment has drawn broad support from education, anti-hunger, and community advocates. Organizations and community leaders submitted letters to the Seattle City Council urging investments in both immediate weekend and school break meal assistance for students experiencing food insecurity. Here are those statements, including excerpts from shared letters:

“Nearly half of the support we provide addresses food insecurity. Rather than prescribing a one-size-fits-all solution, we empower each school community to determine what their students need most; whether that’s discreet weekend food bags, grocery gift cards during school breaks, or stocking school pantries. By trusting those who know their students best, we have delivered more than 102,110 instances of support, resourcing every single school building across this city. Amendment 6 recognizes what the data has shown us: leveraging the City’s existing investment in school-based supports is one of the most effective ways to reach students while also maximizing philanthropic investment alongside public dollars. This approach is targeted, reduces barriers and is flexible to allow families to make the decisions that are right for them.”
– Roxanne Christian, President, Alliance for Education

“Children don’t stop being hungry during weekends and over school breaks. Amendment 6 directs resources to students and families experiencing the greatest need now, while providing time to develop a fiscally sustainable, citywide universal school meals program for the future.”
– Dr. Soleil Boyd, Executive Director, Children’s Alliance

“I respectfully urge Seattle City Council to support Amendment #6. Feeding children has always been one of the smartest investments we can make. By addressing food insecurity both inside and outside the school day, Seattle has an opportunity to build on a legacy of community care while creating a stronger future for the next generation.”
– Elmer Dixon, Founding Member Seattle Black Panther Party

“Centering the essential needs of our city’s most vulnerable is core to our mission at the Urban League, and the reason I support the equitable approach to Amendment 6. I commend Council President Hollingsworth and Councilmember Foster for centering food access for our children when it is needed the most.”
– Michelle Merriweather, President & CEO, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle

“Racial equity requires leaders to look at who will benefit, who they are hearing from, and the opportunity cost for acting differently. Governing for racial equity requires us to slow down and not react to the loudest and most persistent voices. As former FEPP Levy Oversight Committee members and community members we are concerned with using reserves to pay for the proposal that strays from the original intent. FEPP dollars need to be carefully stewarded to maintain the public’s trust and ensure the long-term viability of the levy. Using the reserves leaves the levy vulnerable to not being able to fund its stated goals. In this time of rising inflation, it is important to stay focused on the levy’s original intent and goals, and practice good fiscal governance.”
– Dr. Donald Felder, Former FEPP Levy Oversight Committee Member
Erin Okuno, Former FEPP Levy Oversight Committee Member  
Darren Stephan Blanford, Former FEL Committee Member  
Tim Burgess, Former City Council Member & Interim Mayor  
Lisa Chick, Seattle resident, SPS parent, CEO, Matriculate  
Gregory Davis, Rainier Beach Action Coalition  
Michael Itti, Asian Pacific Directors Coalition (APDC)  
Arik Korman, League of Education Voters  
Susan Lee, Seattle Institute for Early Childhood Development

“In 1990, former Mayor Norm Rice crafted the Families and Education Levy to help close equity gaps that were preventing many Seattle children from low-income families, students of color, English language learners, and other historically under resourced communities from achieving the same educational outcomes as their peers. We support the sequenced approach outlined in Amendment #6 because it recognizes that food insecurity does not begin and end with the school day. Hunger continues on weekends, during school breaks, and throughout the summer. This approach also recognizes the realities facing communities that continue to experience disproportionately high rates of food insecurity, particularly with students in under-resourced communities and students of color. Divesting funds that are intended for closing opportunity gaps for students of color is institutional racism, whether subtly or overtly. Amendment #6 helps ensure that resources reach the children and families with the greatest need while building a strong, sustainable foundation for a citywide universal school meals program.”
– Joint Coalition Letter from 30 Seattle-based organizations

Background

In November, the six-year, $1.3 billion Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise (FEPP) Levy was approved by Seattleites by an overwhelming 80% of the vote, with an implementation plan to be developed in 2026. Mayor Wilson announced her proposal for FEPP Levy implementation in April. The amendment from Councilmembers Hollingsworth, Foster and Juarez would be applied to the mayor’s proposal.

What the legislation does

The councilmembers’ amendment provides $500,000 a year for the 6-year FEPP Levy period to address gaps in our current food systems. This amendment creates an entire line item dedicated to Food Assistance for the first time ever in the FEPP Levy. The $3 million in funding will come by delaying the proposed Universal School Meals Program by one year, until the 2027-28 school year, so the viability of the “millionaires tax” can be assessed as a long-term funding source for the program. Last week, the proposed initiative to overturn the progressive tax gathered enough voter signatures to qualify for the upcoming November ballot.

The program, if passed, will be administered as grocery vouchers/ grocery cards by Seattle Public Schools (SPS) family support workers, the McKinney-Vento Program, and school administrators for SPS students over school breaks.

What’s next

The Select Committee on the Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise (FEPP) Levy Implementation and Evaluation Plan meets today, July 22 at 9:30 a.m. The committee is expected to discuss and possibly vote on proposed amendments.

FAQ

An overview of Amendment 6 in addition to answers for frequently asked questions, is available on the City Council blog.

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