SCHOOL LUNCH

PAGE ONE

Panel 1

Three children sleeping in a small, shared bedroom. They look to be between the ages of 4 and 10, and the two youngest are sharing a bed. The oldest is Amit, then Kiran, and the youngest is Kavita. There’s a digital clock showing 6:00AM.

CAPTION: Before Project 2025.

Panel 2

A woman, the kids’ mom, opens the bedroom door, which creaks loudly.

Panel 3

The Mom, dressed in a cleaning uniform, leans over Amit’s bed.

MOM: I’m going to work, bete. Get your brother and sister ready, haan? There’s no food, but I’m getting paid at work later so we can get groceries. For today, have the free breakfast and lunch at school. I’ll be home tonight.

Panel 4

Close up of the mom’s palm resting against the child cheek. He’s awake, but barely.

AMIT: Mmhhmm.

Panel 5

Amit pulls his siblings through the kitchen. They’re all dressed for school. The clock on the wall shows 7:15. There’s a fridge with a school paper stuck to it showing an A+.

AMIT: Mom said we’re doing school breakfast and lunch today.

KAVITA: Okay!

CAPTION: The Community Eligibility Provision provides free and reduced lunches to children in high poverty school districts across the country.*  Schools that participate in the CEP show students with significant growth in Academic Performance Score.**

CAPTION: *USDA.gov

CAPTION: **Fuller, Rana, and Prothero, 2021. Meals Matter: The CEP and Student Success in North Carolina.

PAGE TWO

Panel 1

The same bedroom from page 1. All three kids are in bed, and the clock still shows 6:00AM.

CAPTION: After Project 2025.

Panel 2

Amit is groaning awake. The digital clock shows 6:01AM, and an alarm is going off with a BEEP BEEP BEEP.

AMIT: Groan

Panel 3

Close up of Amit rubbing at his eyes.

AMIT: Ugh.

Panel 4

Amit gets out of bed, turning his head back toward the reader to wake up his siblings, who are yawning and grumpily starting to sit up.

AMIT: Come on, get up.

KAVITA: Where’s mom? I want mom. She’s never here.

AMIT: Don’t complain, Kav. Mom had to work overnight.

Panel 5

Amit pulls his siblings through the kitchen. There’s no homework on the fridge, and the whole space looks more worn down and messy than before. Kavita is digging in her heels, refusing to let her brother push her.

KAVITA: What about breakfast? I’m hungry.

AMIT: Mom didn’t go shopping and we don’t have anything. See if you can get one of your friends to give you something. Come on!

CAPTION: Under the guise of reducing inefficiency and cutting waste, the CEP would be eliminated or severely reduced, providing less children with food.*

CAPTION: *[2025, p. 303]