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Budget Hearing Highlights Nutrition Investments: Growth Funding for Universal Meals and $150M for Kitchen Upgrades and Training
Summary
Officials described an administration proposal to cover a current-year shortfall and fund anticipated growth in the Universal Meals program ($31.5M backfill, $84.1M growth) plus a 2.43% COLA and a $150M one‑time kitchen infrastructure and training package. CDE reported robust meal growth and said infrastructure grants
The subcommittee examined the governor's proposals to support the Universal School Meals program and to invest in kitchen infrastructure and culinary training to expand freshly prepared meals in schools.
Nate Williams of the Department of Finance outlined four nutrition items in the governor's budget: a $31,500,000 one-time Proposition 98 General Fund backfill for a current‑year shortfall driven by higher-than-projected meal counts; an $84,100,000 Proposition 98 General Fund increase to fund anticipated growth in 2025-26; a $22,200,000 Proposition 98 General Fund increase to reflect a 2.43% cost‑of‑living adjustment (raising the state per‑meal reimbursement to just over $1.00), and a $150,000,000 one‑time Proposition 98 General Fund package for kitchen infrastructure and training (split as…
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