Date: March 24, 2026
To: Chair Polehanki and Members of the Senate Committee on Education
From: Julie Cassidy, Senior Policy Analyst, Michigan League for Public Policy
Subject: Support for Senate Bills 784 and 785
Good afternoon, Chair Polehanki and members of the Senate Committee on Education. I’m Julie Cassidy, Senior Policy Analyst with the Michigan League for Public Policy. The League is a nonpartisan research and advocacy organization that uses data to educate, advocate and fight for policy solutions to lift up Michiganders who have been systemically left out of prosperity. We are also the state’s Kids Count organization, working as part of a national effort to measure the well-being of children and shape efforts that improve their lives.
Thank you for the opportunity to express our support for Senate Bills 784 and 785, making no-cost healthy school meals for all kids a permanent statewide option. We applaud the Legislature and Gov. Whitmer for including support for hunger-free schools in the budget for the last three school years, and wish to see this critical investment in children’s health continued in the years to come.
This initiative is even more important today than it was at its inception. The cost of food remains a top source of increased financial pressure on families, with prices rising nearly 20% since January 2022. At the same time, escalating costs for other essentials often force households to further cut their grocery budgets. For example, about 28 million American adults report that they’ve skipped meals to pay for healthcare expenses in the last year.
The food banks serving our communities are still seeing increased need, which we expect to continue growing as H.R. 1’s unprecedented cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid take effect.
Guaranteed access to school meals will help ensure that all Michigan kids, including the 1 in 5 currently experiencing hunger, have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Food security is associated with better health, improved school attendance and greater academic achievement.
Nutrition is especially important during childhood, a critical period for brain development. Expanding access to school meals enhances food security and diet quality, having a positive impact on kids’ health. Additionally, school meals are linked to improved student attendance, attentiveness and behavior. All of this translates into success in school, including better math and reading test scores, grades, and graduation rates.
Giving all students equitable access to food can reduce bullying and foster a greater sense of community within schools. It can also alleviate toxic stress for children with anxiety over where their next meal will come from.
This investment could have the greatest impact in northern Michigan as well as urban areas in the lower part of the state. Despite their geographic and demographic differences, many of these communities have in common high rates of child poverty and food insecurity.
Busy parents at all income levels will also save time and money – an estimated $850 per student annually. That’s eight months worth of diapers, seven months of electricity bills or 217 gallons of gasoline.
Nourishment of Michigan’s future parents, workers and leaders requires our sustained commitment. Through the important investments you’ve made over the last three years, we have a successful model that works for school personnel, parents, and – most importantly – our children. Please act on this opportunity to make it permanent so our kids can reap the benefits in the next school year and beyond.
Maisha Massey is a Detroit native, educator, researcher and advocate committed to creating more equitable experiences for young people and the communities that support them. She currently teaches 11th-grade English Language Arts in Detroit Public Schools Community District and serves as a TeachMichigan Michigan Education Policy Fellow. Maisha holds a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and is currently pursuing her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Wayne State University, where her research centers the experiences of Black girls in schools. Her work is grounded in the belief that meaningful policy should be informed by the voices and lived experiences of the students, educators and communities most impacted by it.
Betsy Zobl-Tar 
Jay Cutler joined the League in March 2026 as the Kids Count Senior Data Analyst, where he collects, analyzes, and prepares data for Kids Count in Michigan.
Danielle Taylor-Basemore joined the League as the Development Data and Stewardship Coordinator in June 2025. She brings with her five years of nonprofit experience with a special focus on community engagement, data visualization and strategic programming. Prior to joining the League, Danielle served as the Business District, Safety, and Digital Manager at Jefferson East, Inc.
Scott Preston is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Michigan League for Public Policy, where he leads the organization’s immigration and criminal justice reform portfolios. In the three years prior to joining the League, Scott facilitated the Southeast Michigan Refugee Collaborative and managed a small business economic development program at Global Detroit. His work included launching Michigan’s first Refugee Film Festival and building on a trusted connector model that linked marginalized communities with crucial resources. Scott’s work at the League is informed by his background in journalism and research. He spent four years covering the Syrian refugee crisis in the Middle East for publications such as The Economist, and later worked with unaccompanied refugee minors through Samaritas. Scott holds a master’s degree in international migration and public policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Kate Powers joined the League as the Chief Development Officer in February 2025. Prior to joining the League, Kate held leadership positions at many Michigan nonprofit organizations, most recently serving as the COO and Chief Development Officer of Ele’s Place. Kate has spent the bulk of her career in fundraising, with a short stint in the state Legislature as a legislative aide to members in both chambers. Kate is a graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Relations and has a certificate in fundraising management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Additionally, Kate served on the East Lansing Public Schools Board of Education and is a past President of the Junior League of Lansing. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and her son and saving outfit of the day and home decor ideas on Pinterest. 
Nicholas Hess joined the League as the Fiscal Policy Analyst in September of 2024. In this role, Nicholas focuses on tax policy, government revenue, and their impact on working families and racial equity, including the effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). Nicholas values the role that judicious fiscal policy can play in the improvement of people’s lives and the economy, alleviating inequities along the way.
Audrey Matusz joined the League as the Visual Communications Specialist in September 2024. She supports the team with implementing social media strategies and brainstorming creative ways to talk about public policy. She brings with her nearly a decade of experience in producing digital products for evidence-based social justice initiatives. 
Jacob Kaplan 
Donald Stuckey 
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
