More than 200 organizations and schools are calling on Governor Kathy Hochul to fully fund universal school meals. The Healthy School Meals for All New York Kids coalition released a sign-on letter to the Governor on Tuesday calling on her to include a fully funded universal school meals program in her 2026 Executive Budget. While New York has expanded free school meals in recent years, an estimated 320,000 students in more than 650 schools remained without universal meal programs as of last school year.
“Governor Hochul has the chance to make New York more affordable in her upcoming Executive Budget,” said Andrés Vives, CEO of Hunger Solutions New York. “Healthy School Meals for All must be part of any effort to address the state’s affordability crisis. Free school meals save families an estimated $165 per child per month—that is tangible financial relief. Budgets are both a reflection of our values and an investment in our future. It is time to close the gap and ensure free school breakfast and lunch is available to every student in New York.”
In New York schools that have implemented universal school meals, more kids are getting the meals they need. Student participation increased by 12 percent in the first six months following the program expansion. An additional 10 million breakfasts and 18 million lunches reached students across New York.
Last month, USDA released findings showing increased food insecurity in New York, with more than 12 percent of households struggling to provide enough food for their families—a full percentage point higher than the previous year. A national survey showed that when families need to pay for school meals, it becomes harder for them to cover other household expenses.
“Feeding New York State is proud to support free school meals for all New York children,” said Dan Egan, Executive Director of Feeding New York State. “Our state has a responsibility to ensure every child, regardless of their zip code, has the guarantee of fresh, nutritious, and locally grown food in their school. We urge New York State to join the movement of states around the country in guaranteeing Healthy School Meals for All.”
Eight states, including California, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Minnesota, have established universal free school meal programs.
Research has shown that schools with universal free meal programs have experienced improvements in math and reading test scores, with the greatest improvements among students who were previously ineligible for free school meals.
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