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Poudre School District board unanimously backs Colorado Healthy School Meals for All (Proposition LL)
Summary
The Poudre School District Board of Education voted 7-0 to adopt a resolution supporting Colorado State Ballot Proposition LL, which would expand funding to ensure free healthy meals for all Colorado children; board members framed the measure as reducing stigma and supporting student learning.
The Poudre School District Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt a resolution supporting Colorado's Healthy School Meals for All—State Ballot Proposition LL.
Board members said the measure would secure additional funding needed to expand universal school meal participation and reduce stigma tied to free and reduced-price programs. The board’s roll call showed a 7-0 vote in favor of the resolution.
Board President Kristen Draper brought the item forward for action, and the motion was seconded on the floor. Board members who spoke during the discussion included Jessica Zamora, Andrew Spain and Kevin Havela. Zamora said, “I support the resolution because I think our kids can only learn if they're eating and they're fed,” and framed funding for universal meals as directly linked to students’ ability to participate in class. Spain added that student well-being “crosses many different concepts,” and Havela cited the familiar education maxim he summarized as “Maslow before Bloom” to argue that basic needs must be met before learning can occur.
Nut graf: The board’s resolution is a policy statement of support from a large northern-Colorado district. If voters approve Proposition LL, the measure is intended to provide funding to expand universal school meals at the state level; board members said local participation in meal programs and corresponding funding gaps motivated their support.
In the discussion, board members emphasized both the educational and equity rationale for backing the ballot measure, focusing on participation rates and the financing needed to meet higher demand when meals are made universally available. The resolution does not create a district program or change local budgets; it expresses the board’s public support for the ballot proposition.
Ending: The board adopted the resolution by unanimous vote (7-0). No separate district expenditure or program changes were adopted at the meeting; the vote was a public endorsement ahead of the statewide vote.
