Manitoba to spend $30 million to expand school lunch program

Manitoba’s school lunch program is set to expand for the 2024-25 school year.

Premier Wab Kinew and Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Nello Altomare announced it will be investing $30 million next year into school lunch programs.

“We have seen first-hand that when students have access to healthy fresh food every day, it boosts student learning and success, a fact that is clear to educators in a classroom setting,” Altomare said in a news release. “This funding allows children to focus on learning so they can excel in school.”

Of the $30 million, $15 million will be paid directly to school divisions for meal programs based on enrolment and socio-economic factors. Schools in communities with the highest socio-economic need will receive $6 million in funds, while $9 million in grants for nutrition programming will be available on an application basis.

The province also announced it would increase grant funding to the Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba to $3.87 million this school year. The council helps cover food costs for more than 300 in-school breakfast, lunch and snack programs in Manitoba.

According to a news release from the province, the additional funds will allow the council to expand nutrition programming immediately and hire an additional dietician.

“Recognizing the importance of nutrition as a basic need for academic success – having a universal program at each school community means that they don’t have to fundraise to get this basic need met,” said Irene Nordheim, school board trustee, Louis Riel School Division, in a news release. “This is going to take time-consuming work and lots of stress off the backs of teachers and administrators.”