New York To Begin Providing Free Lunch For All Students This Fall

As someone raised by a single mother who couldn’t always afford to buy groceries for the house and for school lunch, having access to a free lunch program helped a great deal. 

On September 5, New York officially became the ninth U.S. state to offer universal free school meals to all students, joining California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Vermont. Governor Kathy Hochul announced plans for the state to cover the cost of all meals regardless of income, to reduce food insecurity and save parents an estimated $165 on monthly groceries per child. 

It is the first time in history that New York has offered universal free school meals, and now over 2.7 million students in New York are recipients. Studies show that when kids have equal access to lunch, their overall health and grades improve, along with their relationships with other students.

“The research is clear: good food in the lunchroom creates good grades in the classroom,” Governor Hochul said in the announcement. “I’m proposing free school meals for every student in New York—giving kids the sustenance they need and putting more money back in parents’ pockets.”

While the response to the program has been mostly positive, it seems that parents of kids who live with celiac or other dietary restrictions will have to continue providing their own meals. According to a Reddit thread, an NYC mom said she was informed by her child’s school that lunch was not safe for celiacs. 

Another expressed that she felt her daughter’s school “seemed clueless about any basic protocols and what cross-contamination was.” She continued, saying the school told her to create a meal plan, but that they would need to approve it, all while making no concessions to offer celiac-safe alternatives. 

It’s unclear how the state will respond to kids with restrictive diets, but with Gov. Hochul committing $340 million to New York’s universal free lunch program, it’s a much-needed win for current and future students—the ones like me, who couldn’t afford it every day, and the ones who can. Ultimately, I believe every student deserves equal access to healthy foods. 

There are currently 26 additional states planning, drafting, discussing, or negotiating expanded free school meal legislation.