ArturVerkhovetskiy / Depositphotos.com
It’s official — North Dakotans will vote on free school meals for K-12 students this fall, as the ND Secretary of State’s Office announced the initiated measure has received a sufficient number of signatures to be placed on the Nov. 3 ballot.
The initiative was brought forth by the Together for School Meals coalition, and chair Robin Nelson tells Jeff Beach from the ND Monitor that they see this as a “huge milestone,” showcasing how North Dakotans from all over the state put in the work to make the measure possible. It will be listed as Measure 3.
If the measure passes, free breakfast and lunch would be provided at public schools starting in 2027. The measure would change the state constitution to say that ND’s Legacy Fund would be used to pay for the meals unless another funding source is identified. Federal dollars already provided for free or reduced-cost meals will front some of the cost.
The measure is applicable to public schools, but tribal and Bureau of Indian Education schools are also eligible.
The program is estimated to cost about $133 million during the next state budget cycle.
The Secretary of State’s Office said nearly 50,000 signatures were accepted, which is about 20,000 more signatures than required to get on the ballot.
Read Jeff Beach’s full article at NorthDakotaMonitor.com.
Comments