Wisconsin Education Chief Proposes Universal Free School Meals

KENOSHA, Wis. (WLIP) — Wisconsin’s top education official proposed a $294 million plan to provide free breakfast and lunch to all public school students, citing rising food insecurity among the state’s youth.

State Superintendent Jill Underly announced the universal free meals initiative as part of her 2025-27 biennial budget request during a news conference at the Kenosha Unified School District.

Recent data from the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows that 25.4% of Wisconsin high school students reported experiencing hunger due to lack of food at home.

The Department of Public Instruction’s proposal would create a new supplemental nutrition aid program to cover meal costs for students.

The total nutrition package would cost approximately $311 million over two years.