LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — In the 2023-2024 school year, Michigan’s universal free school meals program led to a sharp rise in student participation in school-provided meals. The Michigan Department of Education reports that 240,000 more students took part in daily breakfast and lunch compared to the previous year, marking a 26% increase in breakfast participation and a 20% increase in lunch participation.
Taking a bite out of hunger.
The Michigan School Meals program, funded through federal and state resources, provides one breakfast and one lunch daily at no cost to Michigan’s 1.4 million public school students, from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
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Eligible schools must also participate in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s School Nutrition Programs to offer these meals.
“Our children need to eat a healthy breakfast and lunch in order to learn,” State Superintendent Michael F. Rice said in a news release.
Whitmer claims families save $850 each year.
Statewide, families benefit from estimated savings of $850 annually per child on food costs, as reported by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Diane Golzynski, a deputy superintendent with the Department of Education, said that the state reimbursed public schools with more than $200 million last school year to fund the free meals program.
Please pass the veggies.
In addition to providing meals, Michigan’s free school meals initiative has connected schools with local agriculture.
Through a U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded pilot program, “Team Nutrition: Recipe for Success,” 46 Michigan schools collaborated with 25 small farms to include more locally sourced produce in student meals.
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Michigan joins a handful of other states—California, Colorado, New Mexico, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Vermont—in offering free meals statewide.
The program has already shown results in individual school districts, with some reporting participation growth above the state average.
School officials weigh in.
Utica Community Schools served nearly one million breakfasts and over two million lunches during the school year. Meanwhile, Brandywine Community Schools saw a 125% increase in students eating breakfast.
“We are proud to be on pace for another increase this year, as we continue prioritizing the health and well-being of our students,”
Superintendent Travis Walker told the Detroit News that the accessibility of free meals has a clear impact on student success.
“We are proud to be on pace for another increase this year, as we continue prioritizing the health and well-being of our students,” Walker said.
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