Schools Prepare for All Students To Eat Free Meals Under New State Law
When Minnesota students return to school in a couple of weeks, all of them will once again be eligible to receive two square meals for breakfast and lunch for free. State lawmakers passed a bill into law that the state budget will cover the cost.
For local school district nutrition staffs, it’s been a summer of getting ready to go back to a model of free meals for all.
“Since I’ve taken this job in 2020, every year it’s changed,” said Katie Wahl, director of nutrition for Robbinsdale Area Schools.
In the two years at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government picked up the tab for school meals for all. In the 2022-23 school year, it was back to normal, with only a portion of students qualifying for free or reduced meals. The debt from those who didn’t pay or update their student accounts continued to climb.
“It is phenomenal to get to go back to serving them free meals that are healthy and tasty,” said Wahl. “It means that we are able to focus on our kitchen teams and providing excellent quality food and not having to burden families with the cost of school meals.”
Under a law passed earlier this year, all Minnesota school students will have free breakfasts and lunches.
The outstanding debt is still there and school staff will still have to track down families who owe money. Also, not all food is free.
“Students can access one complete breakfast and one complete lunch free of charge every day at school,” explained Wahl. “If students want extras, like an extra milk or an extra entrée, that’s something students still need to have money in their meal accounts for in order to access them and purchase them.”
Students will still be asked to input a PIN or scan a barcode to keep track of their account activity, Wahl said. Families are also encouraged to still fill out federal free or reduced meal program applications, because state and federal funding for individual schools–through Title I and other programs–are still tied to the number of aid-eligible families.
Wahl said the district served 13 percent fewer meals last school year than the previous year, when meals were free for all students. She anticipates that the schools this year will see an increase in breakfast meals served, particularly through grab-and-go options the district plans to make available.
Armstrong High School
Cooper High School
