Michigan Governor Pushes for Permanent Free School Meal Program
In a push to secure the future of free school meals for all students in Michigan, Governor Gretchen Whitmer is advocating for the establishment of a law that would ensure the continuation of this program. During a visit to Baker Middle School in Troy, she was seen serving food and interacting with students, emphasizing the importance of this initiative.
Governor Whitmer has been a strong supporter of including free school breakfasts and lunches in the state budget for all K-12 students, regardless of their family’s income. Her current goal is to see this effort solidified into law, providing assurance that the program will persist beyond her time in office, which ends on January 1.
“Every year, families wonder whether we’re going to be able to count on this again going into the school year,” Whitmer stated. “It’s one more way we can help families keep more money in their pockets and help contribute to better success in school outcomes. It’s really remarkable, so I think we need to make this permanent.”
Although a law would not set funding levels, it would create a statutory foundation for the universal school meal program, requiring negotiation between the governor, the House, and the Senate to determine the budget.
Two bills have been proposed in the Michigan Senate to amend the Michigan school code and the School Aid Act, aiming to incorporate universal school meals.
However, not everyone is on board with this proposal. State Representative Ann Bollin, a Republican from Brighton and chair of the House Appropriations Committee, has expressed the need to balance this initiative with other educational priorities. “We’re starting the budget process,” Bollin noted. “We’ll take a look at that again this year. And, you know, we want to make sure that we’re getting our priorities across the finish line. I want to make sure that we have really strong literacy and numeracy programs for our kids.”
Previously, Republicans suggested reallocating the funds from the statewide school meal program into the K-12 foundation allowance, giving districts the autonomy to decide on spending priorities, as reported here.
