SNAP Enrollment Drop Raises Concerns About Free School Meals for Louisiana Children

BATON ROUGE, La. — A sharp decline in federal food assistance enrollment is raising concerns about whether schools across Louisiana will continue providing free meals to every student, as districts face mounting financial pressure and more families struggle to afford food.

Louisiana lost approximately 154,000 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients between July 2025 and September 2026, a 19% decline that included more than 67,000 children, according to figures cited in an October report on the Gulf South. Enrollment fell across Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama by approximately 16% this summer compared with the same period a year earlier.

The decline could have consequences beyond grocery budgets. Schools use participation in SNAP and other qualifying assistance programs to determine eligibility for federal funding that allows them to serve breakfast and lunch free to all students, regardless of household income.

As fewer families qualify automatically, some schools could receive less federal reimbursement, potentially forcing districts to reconsider universal free-meal programs.

Federal policy changes add pressure

The enrollment decline follows congressional changes to SNAP approved in 2025, including expanded work requirements, restrictions on eligibility for some immigrants and changes to how the program is financed.

Historically, the federal government and states shared SNAP administrative expenses. Under the new law, states must cover 75% of those costs. Beginning in late 2027, states also could become responsible for a portion of benefit costs if their SNAP payment error rates reach or exceed 6%.

Researchers at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities have argued that the anticipated cost shift and additional administrative requirements are contributing to declining participation. The organization said the drop does not appear to be explained primarily by an improving economy.

Although Louisiana's SNAP enrollment fell sharply, participation began increasing again in August and September, according to the figures cited in the report. The longer-term decline, however, remains substantial.

Carolyn Vega, a policy analyst with No Kid Hungry, said children may remain eligible for free school meals even after their families lose SNAP benefits. But when a school does not provide meals free to everyone, families may have to complete separate applications to establish eligibility.

Complicated paperwork, limited awareness of available assistance and concerns about immigration status can discourage families from applying, Vega said, leaving some eligible children without benefits.

Federal funding determines which schools can feed everyone

Under the federal Community Eligibility Provision, qualifying schools can provide free meals to all students without collecting individual household applications. Schools generally need at least 25% of students to qualify through designated assistance programs to participate, with federal reimbursement tied to the percentage of students identified as eligible.

Louisiana and Alabama also use Medicaid data to help identify eligible children, while Mississippi is among six states that do not use Medicaid participation for that purpose.

That difference has significant consequences. About two-thirds of students across the Gulf South attend schools offering free meals to everyone, but fewer than one in four Mississippi students do.

In the 2025-26 school year, approximately 95% of eligible Louisiana schools participated in the program, compared with 89% in Alabama. In Mississippi, fewer than half of eligible schools participated.

The difference does not necessarily reflect lower need in Mississippi. Census data cited in the report show that approximately one-quarter of children in both Mississippi and Louisiana live in poverty.

Vega warned that declining automatic eligibility could reduce federal reimbursement and make universal meal programs harder for districts to sustain. Because schools generally establish their eligibility percentages for four-year periods, the full effects of declining SNAP participation may take time to emerge.

Zachary schools face a $1 million decision

The financial strain is already visible in Zachary Community School District, outside Baton Rouge, where students generally must qualify individually to receive free meals.

Bianca Coats, a registered dietitian and the district's head of child nutrition, said the number of students receiving SNAP benefits in Zachary schools has fallen from nearly 2,300 in 2025 to about 1,200 in October.

The district still qualifies for federal support to provide free meals to all students, but Coats said the funding would not cover the additional costs. Expanding the program would require approximately $1 million in additional district spending.

The district recorded about $50,000 in unpaid meal charges last year, reflecting money owed by families for school meals.

This school year, students who do not qualify for free meals and accumulate at least $20 in unpaid charges receive a bag lunch instead of the regular meal, Coats said.

The alternative includes a turkey sandwich, fruit, a vegetable and milk.

Coats said the policy reflects the district's financial limitations, even as families struggle to keep up with food costs.

Schools cannot sustain a child nutrition program that provides quality food without sufficient payments from families or government support, she said.

Families could face a widening gap

The issue extends beyond school budgets. Even families whose incomes exceed eligibility limits may struggle to afford groceries and school meals, particularly as food prices remain high.

Universal free-meal programs allow children to eat alongside their classmates without being singled out because of their household finances. When districts return to individual eligibility requirements, families must navigate additional applications, and some children may miss out on assistance for which they qualify.

No Kid Hungry and other advocates are urging Congress to delay the planned SNAP cost shift, giving states more time to prepare and reducing the risk that administrative burdens will push eligible families out of the program.

For Louisiana schools, the central question is whether federal support and district budgets will keep pace with families' needs. Without adequate funding, some schools could face difficult choices about maintaining free meals for every student at a time when many households continue to struggle to put food on the table.