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Committee advances bill to provide school meals to all students, amid debate over cost and cafeteria waste
Summary
The Children’s Committee voted to refer SB 1217, a proposal to require school districts to provide meals to all students and authorize State Board grants to districts, to the Appropriations Committee. Supporters cited reduced stigma and learning readiness; opponents raised fiscal and waste concerns.
The Children’s Committee on Feb. 18, 2025 voted to send SB 1217, an act providing school meals to all students, to the Appropriations Committee for fiscal review.
Why it matters: The bill would require boards of education to provide school meals to all students and would direct the State Board of Education to make grants to districts to help cover costs; sponsors argued universal meals reduce stigma, improve learning readiness and reduce unpaid lunch debts.
Committee…
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