Free School Lunches Extended Through End Of School Year In CT

CONNECTICUT — Gov. Ned Lamont said he is applauding both chambers of the Connecticut General Assembly for voting Thursday to approve legislation, which funds the free school meals program for the remainder of this school year.

“The free school meals program that began at the beginning of the pandemic has helped ensure that thousands of young children have access to nutritious food, which is an essential component of learning, and has provided a financial break for many middle-class families," Lamont said in a news release. "Although the federal emergency aid that initially supported this is coming to an end, funding it for the remainder of this school year just makes sense and I applaud everyone for coming together to get this approved."

"Today's vote to extend the free school meals program through to the conclusion of the school year is great news for children across the state and I'm proud to vote yes," said Sen. Jorge Cabrera, D-Hamden, in a news release. "It is unconscionable to expect children to perform at a high level when they're hungry. The need for free school meals is a nationwide issue and as the federal program ends, many students still require this essential support. This is the right move to make, as it will continue to provide Connecticut students with nutritional meals to help them thrive each day."

Free meals details

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government extended its free and reduced-price meals policy to all 50 million public school students nationwide. The federal funding for free school meals for everyone expired on September 30, 2022, although Connecticut allocated $30 million to fund the program through Dec. 31, 2022.

Thursday's vote moves $60 million from the Invest CT program and into the Free Meals for Students program to provide free school meals through the end of the current school year, usually around mid-to-late June. Free meals will be provided to more than 500,000 students in all 169 towns.