Gov. Ferguson pushes for free meals for all Washington K-12 students
by Jackie Kent
Updated Fri, January 17th 2025 at 9:48 AM
SEATTLE — Gov. Bob Ferguson is pushing for free school breakfasts and lunches for all K-12 students in Washington state.
The newly sworn-in governor said he is working with Rep. April Berg and Sen. Marcus Riccelli on the legislation. Berg confirmed to KOMO News on Thursday the program would cost taxpayers approximately $108 million per year. She added that about 70% of students get free meals, and the program would benefit the remaining 30% and could have a significant impact on educational outcomes.
“All they have to focus on is education, not when or what their next meal will be,” Berg stated.
“If you’re a single parent working full time making 19 bucks an hour, your child doesn’t qualify for free meals. That’s unacceptable. That needs to change,” Ferguson said during his inauguration speech Wednesday, which was followed by a standing ovation from the room. “This will improve learning for kids, and save time and money for working parents.”
Seattle Public Schools, Washington state’s largest school district, offers breakfasts and lunches for free based on family income. Its schools that offer free meals for all students are those with 40% of students or more who qualify for the reduced or free meals. The total cost for breakfast and lunch at SPS is $5.50 per day for K-8 students.
“I usually bring my lunch but I would love to be able to pop in for a free breakfast in the morning,” John Hay Elementary School Fourth Grader Ryder Kraucunas told KOMO News.
“I think it’s a great idea. Not everybody can afford the lunches and while there are programs that make them available to kids that can’t afford them, who wants the stigma, the paperwork, right?” Ryder’s father, Ian Kraucunas, added.
Tacoma Public Schools and the Highline district are among those that already offer free meals to all students. A Highline spokesperson reported the district serves more than 2 million meals over the course of a school year, including about 4,500 breakfasts per school day and 10,500 lunches per school day.
In response to the governor’s announcement, House Republican Leader Rep. Drew Stokesbary said many Republicans have supported the idea of free school lunches for years.
“Just because Ferguson supports it, doesn’t make it a bad idea,” Stokesbary said. “We’re going to look at how much it costs. We’re going to look at what the benefit is and weigh that accordingly.”
“If we can work through the budget challenges right now that we have, and they’re substantial, and get to a place where we can invest more in education, I think free school breakfast and lunches is a policy that will get a lot of traction,” added Senate Republican Leader John Braun.
This comes as the state faces a multi-billion-dollar budget shortfall. When asked if the funding could be better spent on other education needs, like smaller class sizes, Stokesbary responded there was no evidence that results in better student outcomes for younger students, including kindergarten-age children.