Schools in New York state have served more than 150 million free meals since the start of the academic year in September when the practice of universal school meals went into effect, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office said Friday.
Students have access to free breakfast and lunch, and the governor’s office said schools across the state are serving more than 2.5 million free meals per school day.
The program has been estimated to save families $165 per child in grocery spending each month and aid in learning, test score and attendance.
“Universal Free School Meals are putting money back in families’ pockets and guaranteeing every student the nourishment they need to thrive, no questions asked,” Hochul said in a statement. “No kid should go hungry in the classroom, and no parent should have to stretch their budget to pack a lunch. With 150 million meals now served to our students, we’re fighting for New York kids and making New York more affordable.”
Universal school meals was included in the state budget that lawmakers passed earlier, with $340 million allocated for it. It requires all school districts, charter schools, and nonpublic schools that participate in the national school lunch and breakfast program to provide free breakfast and lunch meals to all students regardless of their families’ income.