Abbott Vetoes Summer Meal Program

Earlier this week, Governor Gregg Abbott vetoed a budget item that would have allowed Texas to enter into a federal summer lunch program for low-income children. The decision will impact millions of children around the state. Nearly four million Texas children would have qualified for the program.

So where does that decision leave Austin, and Rundberg residents?

Abbott vetoed a $60 million budget measure that would have let Texas enter the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer, or Summer EBT. It falls under the umbrella of the United States Department of Agriculture, which handles the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and other food programs. The Summer EBT program would have given families $120 per child to pay for lunches during the summer months in 2027. Families would qualify for the program if they were eligible for free or reduced price lunches at school, even if their children were home-schooled or attended private school.

Texas would have been required to pay half of administrative costs to join the Summer EBT program. But in his reason for vetoing the budget, Abbott said he was concerned about federal funding.

“As the contingency portions of this rider detail, there is significant uncertainty regarding federal matching rates for this and other similar programs,” Abbott said in his statement. “Once there is more clarity about the long-term fiscal ramifications for creating such a program, the Legislature can reconsider funding this item.”

The announcement comes as families enter into a challenging stretch of the year, according to Sari Vatske, president and CEO of the Central Texas Food Bank, in a recent report from Dove Springs.

“Families face what we call a triple threat,” said Vatske. “Not only do they not have access to free and reduced meals at school, but the cost of cooling a home increases, [and] the cost of daycare is a factor.”

Texas has the highest rate of food insecurity in the nation. Nearly 1 in 5 children experience hunger, according to Feeding Texas. In Rundberg, recent census data shows that the median family income is $50,000 per year. That’s well below the city average of $91,461. In the 2023-2024 school year, about 86.6% of kids at Dobie Middle School qualified for free and reduced lunch.

This veto also comes against the backdrop of nationwide cuts to food banks. Earlier this year, the United States Agriculture Department cut over $1 billion in funding for schools and food banks to buy food directly from local farms, ranchers and producers, which hit the Central Texas Food Bank pretty hard. According to KUT, 39 loads of food were canceled, which equals to about 716,000 meals. Congress is also considering cuts to SNAP funding. The Congressional Budget Office says the proposed legislation would decrease SNAP spending by roughly $287 billion over the next nine years.

For Rundberg residents seeking food assistance, there are several programs operating in the community. Check out our map below to find locations, and check the description for hours of operation and contact information. More resources and food banks can be found at the Central Texas Food Bank’s website. Residents can also call 877-541-7905 or 2-1-1 for assistance.