A version of this column originally appeared in Michigan Advance.
Our kids need proper nutrition to stay healthy and go to school ready to learn. In the recently completed 2024 state budget, our Legislature and Gov. Whitmer have provided funding to enable schools to permanently offer free breakfast and lunch to every student in grades pre-K through 12. Now, it’s incumbent upon local school districts to accept the funds so children in all communities can reap the proven benefits.
This investment can help the state improve its long-standing record of failing students: the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2023 Kids Count Data Book ranks Michigan an embarrassing 42nd in the nation for education, with roughly 3 in 4 students not proficient in reading or math.
Currently, the federal government partially reimburses schools for each meal served. Schools recoup the remaining costs through student copays. Students from families with low incomes are eligible for reduced or completely eliminated copays. The new state funds are to cover all meal costs not reimbursed federally, enabling schools to provide breakfast and lunch to all kids at no cost to their families.
Food security is associated with better health, higher school attendance and greater academic achievement for kids. Proper nutrition is especially important during childhood, a critical period for brain development. Guaranteed access to school meals will help ensure that all Michigan kids, including the 282,320 who experience hunger, have the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Research shows that expanding access to school meals enhances food security and diet quality, having a positive impact on kids’ physical and mental health. Additionally, school meals are linked to improved attendance, student attentiveness and behavior. All of this translates into success in school, including better math and reading test scores, grades and graduation rates.
Giving all students equitable access to food can also reduce bullying and foster a greater sense of community within schools. This is especially important as we strive to address a youth mental health crisis that worsened during the pandemic.
This investment could have the greatest impact in northern Michigan as well as urban areas in the lower part of the state. Despite their geographic and demographic differences, these communities have in common high rates of poverty and child food insecurity.
Busy parents at all income levels will also save time and money–an estimated $850 annually. That’s an entire year’s worth of diapers, five months of electricity bills or 242 gallons of gasoline.
It could also mean reduced paperwork and the elimination of meal debt for many school districts, allowing staff to redirect their time and limited resources to more substantive matters in creating a robust learning environment.
Now is the perfect time to adopt universal free meals permanently. A federal waiver during the pandemic allowed all schools to provide free meals to all kids through June 2022. This gave schools an opportunity to discover best practices for effective long-term operations. Local districts should take advantage of the newly available state funds to build on this success.
The Michigan League for Public Policy and our partners are urging Congress to provide federal funding to fully reimburse schools for serving healthy meals. The new state funding is an important support for our kids in the meantime, but it will be effective only if school districts choose to participate. Please urge your local school officials to embrace this investment in bright futures for our children and our state.
Jay Cutler joined the League in March 2026 as the Kids Count Senior Data Analyst, where he collects, analyzes, and prepares data for Kids Count in Michigan.
Danielle Taylor-Basemore joined the League as the Development Data and Stewardship Coordinator in June 2025. She brings with her five years of nonprofit experience with a special focus on community engagement, data visualization and strategic programming. Prior to joining the League, Danielle served as the Business District, Safety, and Digital Manager at Jefferson East, Inc.
Scott Preston is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Michigan League for Public Policy, where he leads the organization’s immigration and criminal justice reform portfolios. In the three years prior to joining the League, Scott facilitated the Southeast Michigan Refugee Collaborative and managed a small business economic development program at Global Detroit. His work included launching Michigan’s first Refugee Film Festival and building on a trusted connector model that linked marginalized communities with crucial resources. Scott’s work at the League is informed by his background in journalism and research. He spent four years covering the Syrian refugee crisis in the Middle East for publications such as The Economist, and later worked with unaccompanied refugee minors through Samaritas. Scott holds a master’s degree in international migration and public policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Kate Powers joined the League as the Chief Development Officer in February 2025. Prior to joining the League, Kate held leadership positions at many Michigan nonprofit organizations, most recently serving as the COO and Chief Development Officer of Ele’s Place. Kate has spent the bulk of her career in fundraising, with a short stint in the state Legislature as a legislative aide to members in both chambers. Kate is a graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Relations and has a certificate in fundraising management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Additionally, Kate served on the East Lansing Public Schools Board of Education and is a past President of the Junior League of Lansing. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and her son and saving outfit of the day and home decor ideas on Pinterest. 
Nicholas Hess joined the League as the Fiscal Policy Analyst in September of 2024. In this role, Nicholas focuses on tax policy, government revenue, and their impact on working families and racial equity, including the effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). Nicholas values the role that judicious fiscal policy can play in the improvement of people’s lives and the economy, alleviating inequities along the way.
Audrey Matusz joined the League as the Visual Communications Specialist in September 2024. She supports the team with implementing social media strategies and brainstorming creative ways to talk about public policy. She brings with her nearly a decade of experience in producing digital products for evidence-based social justice initiatives. 
Jacob Kaplan 
Donald Stuckey 
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
