ALBANY, N.Y. (WRGB) — Governor Kathy Hochul’s State of the State address highlighted her initiative to include free breakfast and lunch for all students in the upcoming budget.
This proposal aims to address long-standing concerns from advocates who argue that the absence of free meals negatively impacts students’ grades and overall health.
The Healthy School Meals for All New York Kids coalition reported that 280,000 students statewide attend schools that do not provide free meals to all students. Last year’s state budget allocated $145.6 million to expand free meal programs, which the coalition said had a significant positive impact. However, approximately 22,000 students locally were still left out…