Proposal would provide free school meals across Washington state

A Washington state official is looking to expand school meal access for students.

State Superintendent Chris Reykdal will submit a proposal for consideration in the 2023 Legislative Session that would provide universal free meals at Washington schools.

Under the proposal, all of the state’s 1.1 million students would receive free school meals beginning in the 2023-24 school year. The cost to cover the meals would be $86 million annually.

After the expiration of the pandemic-era nutrition waivers, which allowed schools across the country to provide free meals for all students, several states are now taking steps to continue to provide the meals at no cost.

North Carolina and Virginia recently passed budgets that allow students who qualify for reduced-priced meals at school receive meals at no charge, while Massachusetts and Vermont included funding in their most recent state budgets to continue providing universal free meals for another school year.