New York plans to provide free lunch and breakfast for all students by 2026, backed by Governor Hochul’s funding proposal.
New York: Governor Kathy Hochul is pushing for free lunch and breakfast for all students starting in 2026. This plan aims to make sure every kid gets a meal at school.
In her upcoming State of the State speech, Hochul announced her support for universal free meals. This idea has been in the works for three years, thanks to advocacy groups and lawmakers working together.
Hochul believes that good food leads to better grades. She said, “I’m proposing free school meals for every student in New York.” This would help families save money while ensuring kids get the nutrition they need.
To fund this, Hochul wants to increase state funding to $340 million, up from $180 million last year. This money will work alongside federal funds from a program designed for low-income schools.
Last year, Hochul was hesitant about making free meals available to all students. But now, she’s on board, and supporters are thrilled. They argue that free lunches can help fight food insecurity and improve student performance.
If this plan goes through, over 2.7 million kids in nearly 6,200 schools could benefit. Many schools already offer free meals through a federal program that started in 2014.
Hochul also highlighted that this initiative could save families a lot of money. She mentioned that families could save around $2,000 a year per child on lunch costs. That’s a significant amount!
Chris McKenna from The Journal News covers this topic and can be reached for more insights.
