More than 1 million more lunches have been served monthly by the free school meals program this year, saving families thousands of dollars, it was announced by Minnesota’s Governor. 

In the first month of the new program, 1.1 million more breakfasts and 1.1 million more lunches were served to students than the same period in 2022.  

“We’re serving free, healthy meals to more students than ever before. That’s time and money saved on packing lunches, and it’s more kids who are getting the fuel they need to succeed in and out of the classroom,” Governor Tim Walz said in a news release last week. “Feeding our children is one of the best investments we can make for our students’ future, and we’re saving families thousands of dollars a year in the process.”

According to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), the number of total meals served increased from 13.7 million to 15.9 million from September 2022 to September 2023. The number of breakfasts served increased by 31% from September 2022 to September 2023, and the number of lunches served increased by 11%.

 The Free School Meals program, passed in the 2023 legislative session, is a state-funded program that provides reimbursement to schools for meals served to students who do not qualify for free or reduced-price meals, so all students receive meals at no cost. 

School districts, charter schools, nonpublic schools, and other participants approved for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program may participate in the Free School Meals program.