Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

A significant body of research has shown that hunger impacts virtually every aspect of a student’s school experience including behavior, achievement, attendance, health, and development. Some aid is provided to students through federally funded meal programs. This paper begins by considering the take-up of this resource and the potential efficiencies offered by universal breakfast and lunch programs. To complement this aid, solutions frequently arise at the school, district, or community levels to help fill gaps left by state and federal nutrition assistance programs. These local support programs can be either stand-alone programs or nested within other comprehensive support systems. Following the ingredients method, this paper examines the societal costs of three established stand-alone programs that specifically target a reduction in student food insecurity in the state of North Carolina. We seek to understand how school and state resources are combined with external resources including volunteer time and donations to facilitate these programs. A partial cost benefit analysis may be completed to help contextualize these programs. This paper aims to shed light on the complex combinations of resources currently leveraged at the local level to help buoy students through food insecurity. Further, this work will serve as a resource to help policymakers interested in scaling similar food insecurity prevention programs to a reach a larger number of students.