CONGRESSMAN JOE MORELLE INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO CLOSE SUMMER LEARNING GAP
Legislation would keep school libraries open at schools that serve free summer meals
(Rochester, N.Y.)—Today, Congressman Joe Morelle announced he has taken action to combat summer learning loss—which is especially prevalent in low-income communities. His legislation, the Summer Meals and Learning Act, establishes a grant program to keep school libraries open that serve as summer meal sites, helping to close the achievement gap.
“For far too many children, the joy of summer break is often overshadowed by the dread of food insecurity and learning loss,” said Congressman Joe Morelle. “No child should ever have to go hungry, which is why I’m proud to partner with Senator Merkley to introduce our Summer Meals and Learning Act. This common-sense legislation will keep school libraries open during summer break, ensure children have reliable access to healthy meals, and help to close the achievement gap. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and Senate to swiftly pass this legislation into law and help set children on the path to success.”
Summer learning loss is an issue in every community, but particularly in underserved neighborhoods. While affluent children often have access to extracurricular activities, too many low-income children lose access to learning opportunities—or never have access to begin with—when school is closed for the summer. By 5th grade, children without summer learning opportunities are two years behind their peers.
The Summer Meals and Learning Act will provide access to summer support helping students thrive year-round. The legislation would establish a new grant program to be run by the Department of Education that would provide grants to state libraries to allow schools to keep their libraries open for students during the summer months for schools that:
- Have a summer lunch program; and
- Have at least 50% of students reading below grade level or are at risk of reading below grade levels.
The Summer Meals and Learning Act has also been introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senator Merkley (D-OR). To learn more about this legislation, read the full text of the bill here.
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