The proposal is included under MOE’s budget, $800,000 is earmarked for the ministry’s Food Service Program and requires that the ministry “shall arrange for free lunches to all public school students.
President Johnson Toribiong said the new policy will address a problem that arose in previous years when some students couldn’t eat school prepared lunches because their parents couldn’t pay for them.
MOE’s previous policy required parents to pay a minimal fee to supplement the ministry’s lunch program at its public schools.
Because of this a number of students couldn’t afford even the minimal lunch fee.
“Students have a hard time concentrating or learning their lessons when they are hungry, so the new requirement ensures that all students have the same access to lunch, thus leveling the playing field in the classroom,” the President said in support of the new policy.
The House of Delegates this week began the budget process by holding hearings with the various governmental entities and their proposed spending plans for the fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1. The President is calling for a spending ceiling of $54.25 million, with $36 million to be derived from locally generated funds with the remaining $18.25 from Compact funds, including the Compact Trust Fund.
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