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Number of Michigan Children Eating School Lunch, Breakfast Increases Dramatically

Universal Free Meals Available in Public Schools

LANSING – The number of Michigan public school students eating breakfast at school increased 26% last school year while the number eating lunch jumped 20%, the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) announced today.

The dramatic increase came in the first year that Michigan offered universally free breakfast and lunch to Michigan’s 1.4 million public school students. As a result, the number of students eating breakfast at school daily increased by nearly 100,000 – from 379,000 to 477,000. The number of children eating lunch at school daily climbed by more than 140,000 – from 723,000 to 867,000.

“Our children need to eat a healthy breakfast and lunch in order to learn,” said State Superintendent Michael F. Rice. “Access to nutritious meals is good for Michigan students’ health and good for their academic achievement. The Michigan School Meals Program supports Goal 3 of Michigan’s Top Ten Strategic Education Plan, to improve the health, safety, and wellness of all learners.”

The Michigan School Meals program combines federal and state funds to allow intermediate school districts and local education agencies, both traditional public school districts and public school academies, that are serving pre-kindergarten through grade 12 and participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) School Nutrition Programs to provide students with one free breakfast and one free lunch daily.

The state legislature approved and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law the Michigan School Meals program.

“In Michigan, all 1.4 million public school students can eat free breakfast and lunch at school, saving their families more than $850 a year on groceries, per kid,” said Gov. Whitmer. “I am so proud that the number of students eating breakfast and lunch increased significantly last year, up a combined 240,000 kids. We know that it’s easier to focus on learning in class with a full belly, and we believe that every child, no matter how much money their family has, deserves to eat. I want to thank our school food service workers for the work they do every day to feed our kids. Together, let’s keep saving families money and supporting our students.”

Michigan is one of only eight states that has a statewide free meal program. The others are California, Colorado, New Mexico, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Vermont.

“Michigan public schools received over $200 million in state reimbursement for breakfast and lunch to be available at no cost to students,” said Dr. Diane Golzynski, deputy superintendent of Business, Health, and Library Services for MDE. “This is saving money and time for families in addition to improving student health.”

Local school officials say the program has positively affected students.

"The Michigan School Meals program has fueled our students throughout the school day across Utica Community Schools,” said Superintendent Robert S. Monroe. “The breakfasts and lunches served through this program provide students with the nutrition and energy necessary for them to individually achieve their full academic potential.”

Utica provided 976,098 breakfasts to student last year, or 5,499 a day, and 2,143,682 lunches, or 11,312 a day.

At Brandywine Middle/Senior High School in Southwest Michigan, student breakfast counts increased by 125% from October 2022 to October 2023 – up from an average of 35 students eating breakfast daily to an average of 79. Districtwide breakfast participation also increased significantly.

“As a district, we are thrilled to see a 30% increase in student participation in our breakfast program from the 2022-23 to 2023-24 school year,” said Superintendent Mr. Travis Walker. “We know the benefits of starting the day with a healthy breakfast – improved concentration, higher energy levels, and better overall health. A nutritious breakfast sets our students up for success both physically and academically, helping them focus and engage more effectively in the classroom. We are proud to be on pace for another increase this year, as we continue prioritizing the health and well-being of our students.”

The effect of the Michigan School Meals program goes beyond no-cost meals for children.

Not only is Michigan School Meals good for students and families but also for the Michigan economy, especially Michigan farmers and producers with more federal dollars coming to the state to purchase local foods. Michigan was the second-ranked state in the country in the amount of fruits and vegetables provided to the federal government for two food programs – the school meal program and a Department of Defense program that helps provide fresh produce to schools for the school meal programs.

During the 2023-24 school year, Michigan schools ordered more than 8 million cases of food from Gordon Food Service in Michigan, an increase from just over 6.9 million cases in 2022-23.

To learn more about the School Breakfast Program, visit the School Breakfast Program. To learn more about the National School Lunch Program, visit the National School Lunch Program. To learn more about the Michigan School Meals program, visit Michigan School Meals.

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