on Massachusetts free lunch

While I'm still working to update my spreadsheet on the FY24 conference committee budget now on Governor Healey's desk, I did want to note how one thing that had been up in the air--universal free lunch--is resolved within this budget. 

The language, which is in the outside section  (that link via State House News) on page 16, reads as follows: 

SECTION 34. Chapter 69 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 1C and inserting in place thereof the following 2 sections:-
Section 1C. (a)(1) The board shall require all schools providing school lunch as provided in the National School Lunch Act, as amended, or school breakfast as provided in the National Child Nutrition Act, as amended, to make breakfast and lunch available at no charge to each attending student regardless of household income. Schools shall maximize access to federal funds for the cost of breakfast and lunch by adopting: (i) the federal community eligibility provision or provision 2, pursuant to section 72A of chapter 71; or (ii) other applicable federal provisions, including, but not limited to, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, Public Law 111-296. The department shall reimburse the difference between the amount paid by the United States Department of Agriculture and the free rate as set annually by the United States Secretary of Agriculture under 42 U.S.C. 1759a for each school.

So what that means is every Massachusetts public school is now required to feed all kids without charge, by Board of Elementary and Secondary Education requirement. All districts have to adopt Community Eligibility or other provisions, which provides for reimbursement from the federal government for the students who are considered low income. (That is how Worcester has done universal free lunch since 2015. This piece appears to change nothing for the Worcester Public Schools and the other CEP districts.)

Note, though, that this won't be enough reimbursement for most districts to cover their costs. It is last line that kicks in state reimbursement: the Department--that's DESE--is required to kick in the difference between recognizing all kids as eligible and those that otherwise qualify. 

While there's only $102.5M (in line 7053-2925) set aside for that, the budget has $69M also set aside from Fair Share [updated].

The second section referenced requires all districts who have 60% or more kids who are recognized as low income to do breakfast after the bell, so that students are also getting breakfast, often in classrooms. 

The section goes on also to require the Board to set up school nutrition standards, which I flag a concern I have about over here.

This is of course all subject to Governor Healey's action (though, so far as I have seen, no one seems to think she'll veto this).