Free school meals in Minnesota to begin this school year
DULUTH, Minn. – Starting July 1, a whole slate of new state laws kicked in, including one that advocates working to combat hunger say is a game changer: Free breakfast and lunch for all kids in school.
This will make permanent in Minnesota a COVID-era policy that provided the meals at no cost to students, regardless of their family income. The state "universal meals" program will begin this fall and extends to some remaining summer academic programs, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.
Schools must be enrolled in the national lunch and breakfast programs in order to qualify. The federal government will still pay for meals it otherwise would for children who meet the requirements, while the state will pick up the tab for the difference of covering everyone else. That's estimated to be $388 million in this two-year state budget.
For Amber Lightfeather, a mother of five in Duluth, said the pandemic rules allowing for the free school meals for a few years was a lifeline. That expired last fall, meaning she had to pay full price once again.
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She explained she's always made just above the income cutoff to qualify for the federal free and reduced priced lunch program, but her budget is still tight.
School lunch for her kids cost more than $250 a month, she said. Hunger Solutions Minnesota estimates one in six kids in Minnesota is food insecure.
"My son used to always tell me that he didn't eat because he didn't want to make me have pay for it. He didn't eat at school," Lightfeather said.
Colleen Moriarty, executive director of Hunger Solutions Minnesota, said she pushed for the law change for 17 years. She said the pandemic shined a light on the positive impact guaranteed meals have for kids in the classroom.
It also comes at a time when needs are growing. Last year, visits to food shelves in Minnesota hit a record high at more than five million visits, according to data tracked by her organization.
In March, boosted SNAP benefits also expired, contributing to an uptick. Moriarty believes free breakfast and lunch at school will ease the burden on food shelves grappling with a surge.
"Nobody's charged for a ride in the bus. Nobody has to pay for textbooks," Moriarty said. "These are basic rights that kids have when they come to school, to depend on proper nutrition to be able to learn."
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Minnesota is among one of the first few states to take this step. California, Maine, Colorado and New Mexico have also approved state funding for school meals. Others had temporary policies after the federal provision expired.
Does this law cover à la carte items?
No. The law only covers one free breakfast and one free lunch. Second servings will come at an additional cost. Students can still purchase à la carte items like pretzels or an extra milk.
"This isn't a Gatorade-for-all bill. This is a meals-for-all bill," the bill's author said earlier this year.
Does this law wipe out existing school lunch debt?
No. That debt will remain on accounting documents "until it is either collected or determined to be uncollectable," the education department said in a FAQ for districts.
