Flanagan serves breakfast at Maple Grove Elementary School to celebrate the first year of free meals – Twin Cities

Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan served breakfast at Oak View Elementary School in Maple Grove Wednesday morning to celebrate one full year of Minnesota’s free school lunch program.

Flanagan, wearing plastic gloves and a baseball cap, stood behind the counter in the school’s cafeteria and asked each student if they wanted a breakfast sandwich or cereal.

When Flanagan finished talking to the children in the dining hall over their breakfast, she held a press conference in the school library during which she announced that the program had provided 150 million free meals to children in the first full school year: July 1, 2023, through June 30 2024

“The questions we ask young people are not, ‘Do you have enough money in your account for lunch or breakfast?’ We say, “Do you want a sandwich for breakfast or cereal?” Flanagan said. “We should just feed them, no questions asked.”

In March 2023, Governor Tim Walz signed the Free School Meals Act into law, creating a state-funded program to reimburse schools for meals provided to students who do not qualify for free or reduced-price meals.

The projected budget for the first two years of the program was originally $400 million, but is now closer to $481 million. Flanagan said at a press conference Wednesday that the cost so far is as high as $277 million.

“We made the decision that it was absolutely worth the investment,” she said. “When we think about what this means for the long-term, overall success of our state, I think this is a price that Minnesotans are absolutely willing to pay for Minnesota’s future.”

Flanagan said while costs are part of the discussion, people should also talk about the benefits that parents and teachers have mentioned over the past year, such as improved concentration and attendance.

Flanagan did not specify what the Free Meals Program’s budget would look like going forward.

“We are in the process of developing a budget,” she said. “Of course, everyone is eagerly waiting for the November (state budget) forecast and we will feel it, so stay tuned. “I don’t want to ski, and there are a few things that have to happen by November 5.”

Natalie Anderson, a mother of two children who attend Oak View Elementary School, said the program has benefited her family.

“Mornings in our house can be incredibly chaotic,” she said. “My husband and I both work full-time, so we spend our mornings running, getting vitamins, feeding the dog and putting away the dishes. So not having to think about having lunch together, packing lunches, and preparing a nutritious plan for our kids was a big relief for us.”

According to a preliminary summary from the state Department of Education, the program saved Minnesota families more than $267.81 million in its first year, or the equivalent of $1,000 per student per year.

The report shows that all public schools in the state, 167 charter schools and 163 non-public schools, meaning private schools or boarding child care facilities, participate in the program.