A new bill in the Alaska Legislature proposes to ensure all students have access to free breakfast and lunch at school. The bill seeks to provide adequate funding to all school districts to cover the cost of meals for any student who requests them. This initiative is motivated by the positive impacts of free school meals observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when federal funding allowed for universal access. The bill's proponents also highlight the current economic hardships faced by Alaskan families, including the impact of the Yukon River salmon crash.
Children pick up their school lunches. A new bill in the Alaska Legislature could provide free breakfast and lunch for all students.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, federal relief funding allowed schools to provide free meals due to federal waivers. But those funds sunsetted in 2022, resulting in some, over half of Alaska’s students — 51% — were eligible for free or reduced price meals. An estimated 46%, or roughly 48,000 students, were enrolled to receive free school meals.
Dibert, who is Koyukon Athabascan, also cited the current Yukon River salmon crash leaving communities and families who subsisted and shared fish going without.
SCHOOL MEALS ALASKA LEGISLATION FOOD SECURITY STUDENT WELL-BEING
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