free school lunch

The DOE is requiring that states make rebates automatically available to people receiving certain federal benefits like SNAP, Medicaid, or free school lunch; this strategy catches just a fraction of eligible households but at least prioritizes many of the lowest earners.

Legislators also expanded eligibility for free school lunch at some schools around the state, choosing that option instead of a more ambitious plan to provide free breakfast and lunch to every public school student.

Still, the new version of the bill is moving forward — it passed out of the House Appropriations Committee last week by a bipartisan 27-3 vote — and would provide free school lunch to an additional 90,000 students.

His agenda also supports removing a statewide cap on special education funding, providing free school lunch for students and expanding a library program that gives free books to kids ages five and younger.

Free school lunch and breakfast will be available this year to California public school students as part of the Universal Meals Program.