No appetite for scaled back free lunch program

Lawmakers narrowly decide existing federal subsidies are enough to bridge income disparities

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

PIERRE — Concerns about future funding commitments and the existence of federal programs led House lawmakers to reject a proposal to expand free lunches in South Dakota public schools.

Legislators on the House Education Committee defeated Democrat Kadyn Wittman’s bipartisan proposal by a one vote margin – opting to defeat the legislation instead of moving to the body’s Appropriation Committee to subject it to further scrutiny. 

Had the legislation passed, it would have provided free lunches to those who currently qualify for reduced ones due to having a household income between $25,636 and $36,482.

“I can’t think of anything more core to education than children having fully developed brains and being able to focus in their schools,” Wittman said. “If we want South Dakota to pull ahead in terms of test scores, absenteeism rates, and having better health outcomes for our kids, I can’t think of a better investment.” 

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