Great Lakes Wire

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has declared October 13-17 as Free School Lunch Week in Michigan. The announcement follows the signing of her seventh balanced, bipartisan budget earlier this month, which continues the program providing free school meals to all students in the state.

According to the governor’s office, this initiative benefits 1.4 million Michigan students by allowing them to focus on learning while also helping families save time and money. The program is estimated to save families nearly $1,000 per child each year.

“I’m proud that Republicans and Democrats in the state legislature came together to continue free school meals for all in this year’s budget,” said Governor Whitmer. “This is a game-changer for Michigan families across the state who will save precious time in the mornings and around $1,000 every year per kid. And instead of worrying about what’s for lunch, our kids can focus on learning and making friends. This Free School Lunch Week, let’s keep working together to set our kids up for success and lower costs for working families.”

The recently approved education budget includes record per-pupil funding of $10,050, expanded literacy supports for students, funding for free pre-kindergarten and community college for all residents, investments in campus infrastructure, and recruitment and retention bonuses for educators.

The full proclamation is available online.