Governor Hochul’s fifth State of the State proposal, 2025: Free breakfast and lunch for all school students

ALBANY, NY- Governor Hochul’s fifth proposal for her 2025 State of the State is free lunch and breakfast for all school students statewide.

“The research is clear: good food in the lunchroom creates good grades in the classroom,” the Governor said. “I'm proposing free school meals for every student in New York – giving kids the sustenance they need and putting more money back in parents' pockets.”

As part of her affordability agenda, this program would help save parents money, while also addressing food insecurity among New York kids and creating more opportunities for students to succeed.

Furthermore, the Governor’s Office claims that free school meals are estimated to save families $165 per child in grocery spending each month and have been shown to support learning, boost test scores, and improve attendance and classroom behavior.

Such a proposal has not been attempted by New York State before now, according to officials, and Governor Hochul has continued to prioritize free school meals throughout her time in office.

The FY 2025 Enacted Budget included $180 million to help incentivize eligible schools to participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program, allowing all students in participating schools to eat breakfast and lunch at no charge regardless of their families’ income.

This new State of the State initiative will cover the cost of free lunch and breakfast for every student at every school in New York State regardless of their participation in the program, which will expand eligibility to nearly 300,000 additional students.

Image via the office of New York Governor Kathy Hochul.