More than 1.3 million children throughout the United States fall under the category of "homeless student." The 2013 census showed more than half of the nation's public school children fell into the low-income category.

Why do these statistics matter in education? Because these socioeconomic factors can go a long way to deciding the comprehensive future of our nation. When you judge a district or a school by its scores, you are getting a skewed or partial version of the whole picture. Inequalities in housing, income and criminal justice administration mean additional challenges for these students, deeply affecting their learning outcomes.

And of all the symptoms of poverty, hunger is one that most distracts students from learning. An increasing number of teachers agree that what they considered behavioral issues are problems stemming from food insecurity.

Food insecurity in K-12 schools may not be a new issue, but the numbers seems to be climbing, despite efforts by the Obama administration. According to the latest reports, these hunger issues are spilling over to college campuses as well.

Children living in poverty and not getting adequate meals live in a chronic state of stress, which often leads to behavioral and discipline problems. These in turn lead to negative classroom experiences, suspensions and expulsions — a vicious cycle of negativity and poverty.

Medical studies have proven of how elevated levels of cortisol — released in response to stress and low blood-glucose concentration — can destroy brain cells, affecting learning abilities and cognitive development. Further exacerbated by unhealthy environmental conditions, this only increases the risks for anxiety and anger, depression, suicidal or criminal tendencies.

New proposed policies under the Every Student Succeeds Act are aimed at helping students who classify as homeless. The Obama administration has also committed to increase the programming support funding for homeless students, sanctioning close to $85 million for the next academic year.

But efforts at the state and local level are also needed. Organizations like End Hunger Connecticut! (EHC) are working hand in hand with lawmakers and various organizations to deal with food insecurity at the state level. Their efforts have been rewarded as Connecticut no longer ranks last in offering free or reduced-price meals for students in the low-income category.

EHC has also secured a $98,650 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to offer a summer meals program for kids across the state. Daily meals and access to regular meals help children perform better in math and reading, leads to less absenteeism and less behavioral issues.

The Community Eligibility Provision under the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 has led to universal free meals at schools where at least 40 percent of students live in poverty. But experts opine that serving breakfast or lunch may not enough. Food insecurity at home still means no supper for these kids — not to mention weekends — so suggestions for adding supper to the agenda have come into play.

To combat this, most public schools in Cambridge, Massachusetts, participate in a weekend backpack program. Under this program, participating children get to go home every Friday with two sets of breakfasts, two lunches and snacks. This is aimed to get them through the weekend even when they don't have access to school food. Surveys show that over time this program has led to increased attendance rates, less aggressive behavior, fewer children falling ill and definitely improved performances.

Despite these efforts, there are challenges ahead. A lack of regular meals during the summer is a major issue as many K-12 schools and their students lose access to reliable food sources during the summer months. It is estimated that more than 18 million children go hungry over the summer.

Yet bills like the Improving Child Nutrition and Education Act of 2016 may cause more harm than good. The bill may end decades of bipartisan support for food security and take food away from needy kids. It is aimed at reducing costs and fraud, but in reality it could limit the number of students who will have access to free meals.

Food insecurity will only increase child hunger and result in poorer educational outcomes.