BILLINGS — A delay in November’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits has left many families scrambling to feed their children, and schools in Billings are feeling the strain.
Watch how the Education Foundation and Billings Schools are keeping up with the high demand for food:
In just over a week, Billings Public Schools’ Backpack Meals Program, run by the Education Foundation, has added more than 70 new students, marking the largest surge in demand the district has ever seen, according to Education Foundation Executive Director Kelly McCandless.
“Before the SNAP benefits were adjusted so significantly, we were serving over 1,400 students across the district every week. That's roughly 8% of our student population, and that's pre-SNAP,” said McCandless.
A federal judge ruled Thursday that the Trump administration must pay full SNAP benefits for November by Friday, but the temporary gap has already deepened the hardship for many families and left them with uncertainties about when the payments will be received.
Related: Trump administration appeals order to fully fund SNAP benefits for November
At Bench Elementary School in the Billings Heights, Principal Tami Concepcion said nearly half of her 340 kindergarten through fifth grade and KinderREADy students already rely on the Backpack Meals Program, the highest percentage in the district for the program.
“We had a student two days ago that came into school and hadn't ate since the prior lunch here at school, and so we have kids that don't eat at night,” said Concepcion. "We have kids that their meals are primarily here at school, and it's breakfast and lunch. They may not know when they're going to get their next meal.”
Concepcion said the surrounding neighborhood faces higher poverty and trauma rates, challenges that have only worsened with the SNAP delays. It’s a sad reality she sees daily.
“Tugs on the heartstrings. You worry about the kids. You worry about the families," said Concepcion. "It just takes on a whole new importance in ensuring that our students and our families do not go hungry.”
The Education Foundation manages food pantries at 36 elementary, middle and high schools and has operated the Backpack Meals Program since 2007. Each Friday, participating students discreetly receive a bag in their backpacks with two breakfasts and two lunches to last through the weekend.
“Enrollment is as simple as that. If you have need, if your kiddo is not getting enough to eat, we're here to help," said McCandless. "They can't possibly learn in school if they don't have enough to eat.”
Keeping up with the growing demand has become a daily challenge. Shelves at the district’s warehouse on Industrial Avenue are noticeably less full as staff shop multiple times a day to restock pantries, oftentimes sending out faster than they can receive.
"Right now, my amazing staff is shopping daily, if not multiple times a day, to fulfill requests to get enough food out to our pantries for kids who need it," said McCandless. "We are sending out food to pantries daily."
The program has also become increasingly needed over just the past year. Prior to September, they served 8% of the student population a week, or roughly 1,400 students. That number was a 30% increase from the previous 2023-24 school year. In 2022, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the program fed roughly 275 kids a week.
Each backpack meal costs roughly $6.50. For one week of assistance, it costs the foundation over $9,000. All of their food items are made possible through donations and fundraising, but with shopping now happening daily at local grocery stores rather than buying in bulk to meet demand, McCandless estimates the costs have risen.
"When we're in a situation like this, where the demand is so constant, we're buying it from the grocery store like everyone else, so the increased cost is significant,” said McCandless.
The foundation is also preparing for the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, when students lose access to school meals for extended periods. McCandless said they ordered food and meals for Thanksgiving back in August, only planning on making enough kits for 700 students. By this week, they have seen a need for 800 students.
“We just have no way of predicting how many kids might need help by that point in December, so it really puts us in a tricky position of needing a crystal ball to know how many kids to take care of,” said McCandless. “We are concerned about what our ceiling is. Right now, I can't tell you that there's a number of kids we'll hit and we won't be able to serve them. My confidence in the community is that we'll find a way if kids are in need.”
Back in the classroom, Concepcion said hunger’s impact stretches beyond food insecurity, and she often sees the mental toll hunger can take on her students and their families.
“Our kids are kind of falling apart. Our parents are kind of falling apart. Attendance as well," said Concepcion. "We definitely see the emotional toll and impact that it takes on our kids, and then with their social interactions, when kids are hurting, they lash out at others. So then they share and spread the hurt.”
Both Concepcion and McCandless said community donations are vital to keeping the program running. Protein-rich foods, easy-to-prepare meals, and nutritious snacks are among the most needed items.
"Kids can't learn if their basic needs have not been met. If they are sleep-deprived, if they are food-deprived, they are not going to be as resilient. School is hard," said Concepcion. "No child should go hungry.”
The district's food-insecurity programs aim to do more than provide meals, but they also help stabilize children's lives when families are struggling during economic uncertainty. The foundation wants to ensure all children have consistent access to food so no child goes hungry in Billings.
“When it comes to our students, our children, they didn't ask for this," said McCandless. "Frankly, it's just what we should do. Kids deserve support, and that's what we're here to do.”
For more information on the Education Foundation's food insecurity programs, click here.
