Kids eat free: Universal school meal program launches statewide this fall

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — Starting in September, all 2.7 million public and charter school students in New York State are supposed to start receiving free breakfast and lunch at school, regardless of family income. Funded with $340 million in the FY2026 state budget, New York's statewide free school meals program is only the ninth in the country.

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The budget language specifically mandates...