Lawmakers to review Minnesota's free school meals program
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota lawmakers will get an update on the state's free school meals program Wednesday.
The program last year served millions of meals and went millions of dollars over budget to do so.
At Wednesday's informational hearing, lawmakers want to take a deep dive into how the program is working. They're expected to hear from district leaders, farm to school programs, parents and local organizations.
Minnesota's 870,000 eligible K-12 students were each served about 173 meals, which totals 150 million meals combined between breakfast and lunch.
Leaders say it saved parents about $1,000 per child. It cost $267 million last year to make it happen — $80 million over budget.
In addition to every public school district, 167 charter schools and 163 private schools and residential child care institutions also participated in the program. Only two public schools opted out: Prior Lake High School and Byron High School.
The Senate Education Policy Committee meets at 8:30 a.m.
Much has changed since last year's pilot program — there is no longer a DFL trifecta in Minnesota, and there's a new administration in the White House. This program relies on not only your tax dollars to make it happen but also a lot of federal funding. There are concerns about the Trump administration's potential cuts or freezes to that government support.
