Universal school meals ensure every student has access to breakfast and lunch, regardless of family income. While the federal USDA School Breakfast and Lunch Programs, including the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), provide critical funding, the reimbursement rate does not cover the full cost of administering meals in many rural Alaska communities.

Urban districts can often make the federal funding work, but rural schools face higher food and transportation costs, leaving them to operate the program at a financial loss. As a result, some rural Alaska school districts have stopped offering school meals altogether. This leaves children—many of whom are food insecure—without reliable access to nutritious meals at school. According to federal guidelines, one in three food-insecure children in Alaska who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches do not actually receive them because of these funding barriers.

Impact or how it will be measured:

The proposed legislation would fill the funding gap for districts participating in the federal program, ensuring schools can provide meals without incurring losses. By leveraging federal dollars while supplementing shortfalls, Alaska would increase assistance to at-risk families and reduce food insecurity among students.

Measurable outcomes include:

• Increased participation in school meal programs, particularly in rural communities.

• Reduced rates of food insecurity among Alaska’s school-age children.

• Greater equity across school districts, ensuring that location and cost challenges no longer determine access to meals.

With more than 13% of Alaska families identified as food insecure—well above the national average—this policy offers a targeted and cost-effective way to address a pressing need. By closing the reimbursement gap, Alaska can ensure that no child goes hungry at school and that every student has the nutrition needed to learn and thrive.