Gov. Baker Extends Free School Lunches For Students In MA

MASSACHUSETTS — Four hundred thousand students across the Bay State will continue to get free school lunches this year.

Gov. Charlie Baker signed a one-year extension of the free lunch program that has been allowing children to eat meals for no cost over the last two years as part of the new state budget.

This now makes Massachusetts the fifth state to guarantee free meals for the upcoming school year.

This program also includes free breakfast, if the school provides it and will be available for all public and most charter schools in Massachusetts.

All school districts will also make free school meals accessible to students who are quarantined due to exposure to COVID-19. Contact your school for more information.

All school meals are required to follow a federal meal pattern that includes minimum amounts of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. School meals must also meet limits for sodium, saturated fat, and overall calories. Menus often feature locally sourced food supporting farms, fisheries, and other producers in local communities.

Project Bread supported the program, noting the 42.3 percent increase in lunch participation in March 2022 compared to pre-pandemic participation in March 2019.

"While the road to equity is long and complex, this extension of School Meals for All is a straightforward and significant step in ensuring students are ready to learn next year," said Project Bread CEO Erin McAleer in a statement. "This is a moment in time when all our eyes have been opened to the vast disparities faced by the children of Massachusetts when accessing the resources needed to be healthy and learn."

For more information on the free lunch program, click here.