Supporters of a statewide free school meals measure have submitted petitions to North Dakota’s Secretary of State, moving the proposal a step closer to the November ballot.
Secretary of State Michael Howe says the committee turned in about 57,000 signatures. The threshold to qualify is 31,164 valid signatures, and the state now has until May 14 to certify the petition count.
If certified and approved by voters, the constitutional measure would require North Dakota public schools and charter schools to provide one free breakfast and one free lunch each school day to enrolled students. Schools would have to maximize available federal reimbursement first, and if lawmakers do not identify another funding source, the cost would come from the Legacy Fund earnings.
The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction has estimated that more than 47,000 children in the state currently receive free or reduced-cost meals. The proposal would provide free meals to all 120,000 K-12 students in the state. The department says the measure would cost about $133 million over three years.
The measure would not affect private school meal programs.
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