A pandemic experiment in universal free school meals gains traction in the states

By: - April 24, 2023 12:01 am

A child puts her mask back on after finishing lunch at a socially distanced table in the cafeteria of Medora Elementary School on March 17, 2021 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Jon Cherry / Getty Images)

School meals in Virginia

While Virginia has not passed legislation providing universal school meals, the state’s two-year budget signed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin in June 2022 includes funding for local school divisions to cover the cost of breakfast and lunch for students eligible for reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. No Kid Hungry Virginia estimates the provision will help roughly 64,500 additional Virginia students access free meals.

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Adam Goldstein
Adam Goldstein

Adam Goldstein was the D.C. Bureau intern for States Newsroom. Goldstein was a graduate student at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, studying digital reporting. He is originally from San Francisco, and loves swimming, cooking, and the San Francisco 49ers.

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