Massachusetts has joined a growing number of states in passing legislation to grant free meals to all public school kids. Maura Healey (D) as part of an overdue budget of nearly $56 billion, which also included spending on child care, workforce development, housing, public transit and other areas. AdvertisementFrom that budget, approximately $172 million in permanent funding will be put toward free school meals for students in kindergarten through high school. Rebecca Wood, who has an 11-year-old, told WBZ-TV in Boston that there were times in the past when she wasn’t sure if she could afford school lunch for her kid. But the new meals program will save families about $1,200 per student each year, according to state Senate President Karen Spilka.

Source: Huffington Post August 12, 2023 20:08 UTC