Breakfast, lunch and dinner: things most people take for granted.

With the government shutdown that lasted 43 days, it was brought to the forefront that not every student is able to enjoy these.

“I will never understand why hard-working government employees and their families were used as pawns in a political game,” senior Kadence Rosenthal said.

As the child of a government employee, Rosenthal started receiving lunches for a reduced price due to the shutdown. Because federal funding was halted, employees who worked for the federal government were unable to be paid.

Shutdowns aren’t new. They’ve typically been due to disagreements in federal spending and last a couple of days.

But the one that started on Oct. 1 created a new record. It marked the longest-lasting shutdown in U.S. history, beating the previous record of 35 days in 2018-2019. 

One notable program that relied on the government to hand out benefits is SNAP–the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Gary Meitler, the director of Pando Initiative, expressed concern for his students who rely on SNAP benefits.

“I think a lot of kids will go hungry or even without food for political reasons,” Meitler said.

Governors across the country, including Kansas governor Laura Kelly, sued the Trump Administration for holding back benefits for the families in need.

“The judge may have reversed some of (their decisions), so it may have forced the administration to release some funding for (SNAP),” Meitler said.

By providing money for food and groceries, SNAP freed up household funds for other necessities like rent, utilities and medicine.

According to Derby food service director Martha Lawson, there are over 900 students who qualify for free or reduced lunch at school. Along with this, there are 190 who qualify for SNAP benefits.

“But I’m sure there are other students who are receiving SNAP benefits that we are unaware of,” Lawson said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture warned in early October that there would be insufficient funding to pay full November benefits if the shutdown continued.

“Bottom line, the well has run dry,” the USDA said in a memo posted on Nov. 25 on its website. “At this time, there will be no benefits issued on Nov. 1.”

A lack of food for an entire month for those who rely on SNAP. If the decision hadn’t been reversed, numerous families may have been forced to resort to options like rationing or even skipping meals.

USDA data from 2023 showed that over 7 million families either skipped or reduced their food intake because they couldn’t afford food.

Even with the government up and running again, there are options for high schoolers who are feeling the aftereffects of SNAP’s unprecedented semi-shutdown.

“We do have our weekend food bags that we send home with some students, so that can help get some food through the weekend,” Meitler said. “We can also refer families to food banks and different types of places … (like) the Woodlawn Methodist Church food bank.”

As of now, the future of SNAP is up in the air. Even though the shutdown has come to an end, families are still wary of what will happen from now on.

“I fear for families like my own who may still be struggling to get back to square one after the first shutdown,” Rosenthal said.