LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants to make free lunches for public school students a permanent deal.
“No child should learn on an empty stomach. That’s why we worked across the aisle to deliver free breakfast and lunch for all 1.4 million public school students in Michigan, saving parents almost $1,000 a year per kid,” Whitmer said March 2 on X. “I’m proud we got it done. Now, let’s make it permanent.”
No child should learn on an empty stomach. That’s why we worked across the aisle to deliver free breakfast and lunch for all 1.4 million public school students in Michigan, saving parents almost $1,000 a year per kid. I’m proud we got it done.
Now, let’s make it permanent.
— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) March 2, 2026
MORE NEWS: Big Brother in the Potty? Michigan Lawmakers Don’t Want AI Keeping Track of Your Bathroom Trips.
Politicians often cite the meals program as “free” and Whitmer even came up with a calculation on how much it saves parents.
But there is no such thing as a free lunch.
In 2025-26, the cost for providing breakfast and lunch in Michigan is $1.17 billion, with the federal government covering $923.4 million of that cost, according to the Senate Fiscal Agency.
As for children learning on an empty stomach, the federal government spent $261.5 million in November 2025 covering the cost of 1.47 million people receiving benefits from Michigan’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps.
