[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz today announced that Minnesota schools served over 151 million free meals to students through the Minnesota Free School Meals Program in its second year, saving families an average of $1,000 per student per year. The total is over 460,000 more meals than the program’s first year.

“As a former teacher, I know just how important it is for kids to show up to school ready to learn,” said Governor Walz. “Giving every child a meal at school allows those students to be healthy and prepared for the classroom, but it also helps families manage their budgets and morning routines. Students should be able to focus on the classroom, not on where their next meal will come from. ”

Governor Walz signed the Minnesota Free School Meals Program into law in March 2023 to ensure no student goes hungry, lower costs for families, and eliminate stigma within school cafeterias. Since its launch in 2023, the program has provided students with more than 302 million healthy meals. The Minnesota Free School Meals Program provides breakfast and lunch at no cost to all students at schools that participate in the federal National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.