Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is serving up lunch at a Twin Cities school as he touts that they have served more than 1 million meals so far.
"Over 1.2 million more students every day are having breakfast before they go into that classroom," says Governor Tim Walz. "And I'll say it again as a teacher, when a child is struggling with other things, whether they're hungry or there's problems at home or God forbid they're trying to figure out where they're going to sleep that night. Things that are all real in our students' lives. This is one less thing they have to worry about."
The new free meals program is costing the state more than first expected, but Lt. Governor Peggy Flannagan says budgeting for new programs is never easy, and that this program is absolutely essential.
"Feeding kids is the smartest way that we can invest in the future of our state," says Flanagan. "And that's exactly what we're doing. It's been inspiring to visit lunch rooms across the state over the past year to hear, and really see the dedication."
The Governor and Flanagan visited Edgerton Elementary in Maplewood to highlight the impact of the program.
The debate over whether the state can afford the program will continue as it's projected to cost $81 million over their previously budgeted amount over the next two years.