While many feared free lunches for Michigan’s public school kids would be on the chopping block this year, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is “working with the legislature” to finalize a state budget that includes universal school breakfast and lunch, according to a spokesperson for the governor.
The program’s possible elimination has been the source of anxiety for school administrators and state education leaders, as the budget passed by the Michigan House earlier in the summer did not include a specific allocation for the meal program. Republican leaders argued their version of the budget made funding flexible so schools could spend money on universal meals only if they wanted.
On Thursday, Sept. 25, Whitmer and legislative leaders announced a budget deal that would narrowly avoid a state government shutdown. Lawmakers haven’t fully detailed the plan, including the fate of the meals program, but the statement to the Detroit Free Press from Whitmer’s office indicates the meals program will live on.
“Governor Whitmer fought to get free school breakfast and lunch for Michigan kids because it keeps students focused and healthy, and it saves parents time and money,” spokesperson Stacey LaRouche wrote in an emailed response to questions. “She wants to continue this program and is working with the legislature to finalize the budget over the next few days, so parents and kids can keep getting this benefit.”
In the absence of a passed state budget, some Michigan school districts have pledged to keep the program going no matter what lawmakers decide, while others have been prepping families to start paying again.
Free breakfast and lunch for everyone wasn’t always the way in school cafeterias, but families became used to the benefit during the pandemic, when federal rules temporarily changed in the face of an unprecedented crisis. The federal rule allowing for meals to be universal ended in the 2022-2023 school year, when students not eligible based on income had to pay again. Students slid back into debt for school meals.
State lawmakers in 2023 worked to bridge the gap between the federal meals program with state funding, creating Michigan School Meals, a broad strategy to address childhood hunger where vulnerable children can be reached: In school. One provision of the program required districts to strategize to eliminate school lunch debt students had accumulated.
The program has been a hit with many families with squeezed budgets. In the 2023-2024 school year, over 76.3 million breakfasts and 135.6 million lunches made it to students.
While the funding may continue on the state level, there are doubts on the federal side. The meals program relies on federal funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National School Lunch and Breakfast programs. The federal program has not been cut, but some federal Republican lawmakers have said they want to limit who is eligible for the program and, in turn, funding, Chalkbeat reported.
The state reports the program costs about $200 million a year but could cost more as federal policy changes go into effect over the next several years, according to an analysis by the Citizens Research Council of Michigan.
Contact Lily Altavena: laltavena@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Whitmer spokesperson: Governor fighting to keep free school breakfast and lunch in budget
Reporting by Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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