School districts are serving up hundreds of additional breakfasts and lunches this year with the launch of New York state’s universal free meals program.
This is the program’s first year. New York instituted the free meals program with the goal of increasing student attendance and focus in the classroom. The state budget signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul set aside $340 million for school meals, an increase of $160 million from the previous year.
All students in a district can now get free meals regardless of their families’ income…