First Time in State History, New York Will Cover the Cost of All School Meals to Help Address Food Insecurity and Ensure Every Student Can Eat for Free
Governor Hochul’s Initiative Will Save Families an Estimated $165 on Groceries Per Child Each Month
Program Will Put Money Back in Parents’ Pockets, Encourage Healthy Habits, and Set More New York Students Up for Success
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a historic initiative to ensure every single one of New York’s over 2.7 million students can receive breakfast and lunch for free at school. This monumental program will help save parents money, address food insecurity among New York kids, and create more opportunities for students to succeed. Governor Hochul will unveil this proposal later today on Long Island at Westbury Middle School, a district that has seen first-hand how universal free meals have improved outcomes for students and families.
“The research is clear: good food in the lunchroom creates good grades in the classroom,” Governor Hochul said. “I’m proposing free school meals for every student in New York – giving kids the sustenance they need and putting more money back in parents’ pockets.”
Offering free school meals is an effective way to help keep kids in school and able to focus in the classroom. By eliminating any financial requirements to receive this benefit, New York State will level the playing field and give parents back the money they would be spending. Free school meals are estimated to save families $165 per child in grocery spending each month and have been shown to support learning, boost test scores, and improve attendance and classroom behavior.
Such an ambitious proposal has not been attempted by New York State before now, and Governor Hochul has continued to prioritize free school meals throughout her time in office. The FY 2025 Enacted Budget included $180 million to help incentivize eligible schools to participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program, allowing all students in participating schools to eat breakfast and lunch at no charge regardless of their families’ income. This new State of the State initiative will cover the cost of free lunch and breakfast for every student at every school in New York State regardless of their participation in the program, which will expand eligibility to nearly 300,000 additional students.
NYSUT President Melinda Person said, “Every day in our schools, educators see hungry children who would likely qualify for existing free meal programs, but fall through the cracks due to stigma or bureaucracy. Nearly one in six New York children faces food insecurity, and this critical initiative to provide universal free meals for all students — regardless of their ZIP code or family income — will reduce food anxiety, improve mental and physical health, and support students’ ability to thrive. Every child, no matter their circumstances, deserves the nutrition they need to grow and learn.”
Community Food Advocates Executive Director Liz Accles said, “The Healthy School Meals for All Coalition has always believed in the power of government to work for the good of the people. Universal Free School Meals is an immediately tangible and prime example of this principle in action. We thank Governor Hochul for championing this issue and making it a top priority–we are absolutely thrilled.”
Hunger Solutions New York CEO Andrés J. Vives said, “With today’s announcement, Governor Hochul has made it clear New York will lead the way in ensuring all children have access to the food they need to thrive. Universal access to free school breakfast and lunch will alleviate hunger, support children’s mental and physical health, and provide much-needed financial relief to families struggling with high costs of living. We applaud the Governor’s championing of this historic investment and look forward to working with the Legislature to ensure this proposal is included in the final budget.”
As of 2024, eight states–California, Colorado, Maine, New Mexico, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Vermont, and Michigan–have passed legislation to make HSMFA a reality in their states. View a map of current statewide policies and actions.
The proposal will also reduce the cost of free breakfast and lunch for some hi need school districts, including Yonkers Several years ago, the City Council debated whether to require parents to pay their share of the school lunch program for their children. The unpaid tab had grown to more that $100,000.
The plan will also allow those students who previously did not qualify for free lunch to take advantage of it, which will destigmatize the concept of the free breakfast-lunch program.
