The Healey-Driscoll administration is pleased with the success of the first year of the Massachusetts Public School Free Lunch Program. This state-funded program has resulted in a significant increase in student participation and overall meal distribution compared to the period prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. This initiative, aimed at combating food insecurity among students, has been hailed for its positive impact on both student health and school nutrition programs.
In the 2022-23 school year, the introduction of universal free school meals in Massachusetts led to a substantial increase in meal consumption among students. Compared to the 2018-19 school year, an additional 12.2 million lunches and 9 million breakfasts were served. This translates into 61,500 more students eating lunch and 43,400 more students eating breakfast each school day, according to a release from the governor’s communications office.
Maura Healey expressed her pride in making universal free school meals a permanent feature of her campaign promises, stressing the importance of providing nutritious meals to students. “Nearly seven out of ten Massachusetts students eat a meal at school, which means more than half a million students receive nutritious meals,” said Governor Healey. “We were proud to make universal free school meals permanent with the legislature, and the combination of state and federal funding means that breakfasts and lunches are available to all students to help them stay healthy and succeed in school,” added the first woman to become Massachusetts state governor.
Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll also highlighted the broader benefits of the state’s investment in universal free school meals, highlighting how it has supported school nutrition programs. “Thanks to more predictable revenues, schools and districts have been able to invest in locally sourced food and offer impressive menus,” she said.
The stability provided by the universal free school meals program has enabled districts to focus on improving meal quality. This includes offering more locally sourced foods, as demonstrated by the dishes entered in the “Terrific Tray” competition. This competition, organized by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in partnership with Massachusetts Farm to School, showcases the best platters from different schools every month. The public then voted for the winning tray at the end of the school year.
This year, Littleton Public School took top honors with its bowl of chicken fajitas, mozzarella cheese, balsamic and tomato stack from a farm in Sharon, corn salad with cherry tomatoes from a farm in Acton and apples from an orchard in Groton, the Governor’s office noted.
Secretary of Education Patrick A. Tutwiler hailed the program’s impact. “We are proud to be at the forefront as Massachusetts leads the way in using state funds to support the food security, health and well-being of our students, especially through the leadership of Governor Healey and the state legislature,” enthused Patrick A. Tutwiler, adding that “these data show what we know to be true – universal free school meals increase participation and reduce food insecurity.”
Russell D. Johnston, Acting Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, emphasized the importance of meeting students’ basic needs to ensure their academic success. “Students’ basic needs must be met for them to excel at grade level or beyond, and supports like universal free school meals lay the foundation for this work,” said Johnston. “It’s great to see school meals using local ingredients, and I’m pleased to highlight the important work of nutrition staff in schools.”
The 2022-23 school year marked the first year of state-supported free universal school meals, and with Governor Healey’s signing of the FY2024 budget, Massachusetts became the eighth state to make the initiative permanent. The impressive statistics attest to the program’s success: 97.5 million total lunches served, 557,000 students eating breakfast each school day, 44.5 million total breakfasts served, and 243,000 students eating breakfast each school day.
Massachusetts’ state-funded free universal school meals program has set a new standard in combating food insecurity and promoting student health and well-being. The success of the initiative in its first year underscores the importance of continued support and investment in such programs to ensure that all students have access to nutritious meals, paving the way for better educational outcomes and overall development.
Governor Maura Healey pleased with results of first year of free school lunch program in Massachusetts
