New bill to resume debate over free school meals 

Why Should Delaware Care?
In Delaware, an estimated 37,680 children deal with food insecurity. While Congress debates terminating a program that feeds all students, regardless of need, in high-poverty areas, a reintroduced Delaware bill could require state schools to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students.

A bill to mandate that Delaware public schools provide free breakfasts and lunches to all students was introduced earlier this month, about a year after state lawmakers rejected a similar measure.

Bill sponsor Rep. Sherae’a “Rae” Moore (D-Middletown) said that the issue of food insecurity still is prevalent, with high grocery prices making it more challenging for families to afford nutritious meals. 

“We can’t expect our students to thrive academically if they don’t have access to nutrition. [The bill] removes the barrier,” she said. 

Last year’s proposal to ensure free meals for all public school students, regardless of need, faced resistance from several lawmakers in both parties who said its $122 million cost projection over three years would be too burdensome. 

For example, Rep. Valerie Jones Giltner (R-Georgetown) argued that the bill would waste valuable resources because some parents don’t need their child to get free meals. 

Ultimately, that bill was amended in a way that reduced its cost by extending free meals only to students who already qualified for reduced lunches.

That amendment passed last June and then-Gov. John Carney signed it into law a month later. 

Asked whether there is support for this year’s bill, House Bill 125, House Minority Leader Timothy Dukes said in a statement that his biggest issue with the new legislation is its cost. Moore’s bill includes a $141 million fiscal note, which means the program would cost that amount over three years.  

Dukes also said lawmakers may not pass any bill with a “significant fiscal note,” in light of Gov. Matt Meyer’s recent budget proposal that features increased dollars for teacher salaries and affordable housing.  

Still, the Republican leader noted that his GOP colleagues have not yet held discussions on the school lunches bill in their full caucus meetings. 

“It is going to be an interesting session as we figure out our budget and to see if there will be major cuts from the feds,” Dukes said, referencing recent efforts by the Trump Administration to reduce Congressional funding to states. 

Moore knows that other lawmakers may have reservations, but she argued that Delawareans “need to invest in our students,” arguing that it would pay off in better academic results. 

Moore also noted that other cities, such as Baltimore, have expanded their food nutrition program to include snacks and weekend or summer meal boxes. Baltimore City Public Schools offers free breakfast and lunch options to all students, according to its website. 

In Delaware, one breakfast for one student is estimated to cost $1.98 to $2.45, according to the bill’s fiscal note. One lunch is estimated to cost $4.01.

HB125 is currently awaiting consideration in the House Education Committee. 

Last week, Rep. Kim Williams (D-Stanton) introduced a compromise bill that would also expand Delaware public school’s free breakfast and lunch programs, but not to every student.

Instead, House Bill 91 would extend free meal eligibility to students whose families earn up to 225% of the federal poverty limit. Currently, students of families with incomes at or below 130% of the poverty limit receive free meals.

In 2025, a family of four earning $32,150 would be at the federal poverty limit, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Williams’ bill also calls for the Delaware Department of Education to reimburse public schools that provide free breakfasts and lunches

Federal proposal could impact free student meals

Moore’s bill this year follows efforts by Republicans in Congress to limit the accessibility of free and reduced meals to students in public schools across the country.

One proposal directly targets the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), a federal program that allows districts and their schools in certain low-income areas to provide free school breakfasts and lunches to all students.

If approved, 129 schools in Delaware would no longer be able to provide free school meals through the Community Eligibility Provision program and would instead need to reinstate meal applications for individual students, according to a March 2025 study by the Food Research & Action Center, an organization that researches food insecurity and its impact while advocating for policies to it says would reduce hunger.

Another proposal in Congress would require increased paperwork for low-income families applying for free or reduced-price school meals at schools that aren’t part of the Community Eligibility Provision program – such as schools in higher income areas. 

The current program requires those schools to scrutinize a sample of free-meal applications by reaching out to families and verifying their household income data matches what they reported. 

The new proposal aims to increase the verification beyond a just sample of applications, instead requiring every student who is eligible for free or reduced-price meals to submit household income data to support that application, said Erin Hysom, a senior child nutrition policy analyst at Food Research & Action Center. 

In Delaware, more than 120,000 people are facing hunger — with 37,680 of those being children, or about one in six children statewide, according to Feeding America, an organization that advocates for policies that address food insecurity and works with local food banks.