Gov. Tim Walz visits Rochester touting free school meals

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (DFL) visited Rochester Tuesday, as part of a tour celebrating free school meals.

The law went into effect July 1. Students can have one breakfast and one lunch for free, but any extra items or second helpings need to be paid for. All federal meal programs will continue to be used on top of universal free meals.

Walz visited Montessori at Franklin Elementary School and was joined by his wife Gwen, Minnesota Dept. of Education Commissioner Willie Jett, Executive Director of Hunger Solutions Colleen Moriarty, and RPS superintendent Kent Pekel.

“No longer are we starting to differentiate the have and have nots, those who had lunch, those who didn’t, those who got something different than someone else,” Walz said. “We’re simply treating them with the respect and dignity that each child should have.”

Walz and Jett served meals to some of Franklin’s 660 students. On the menu was boneless chicken wings, french fries, carrots and peaches.

Pekel said RPS is already seeing the effects of the free meals.

“For the first time, lunches are free,” Pekel said. “Last week in Rochester Public Schools, our lunch consumption went up 15%. There’s reason to believe that’s 15% of our kids who didn’t eat lunch last year, ate lunch.”

Pekel added RPS has seen a 4% increase in students eating breakfasts.

Moriarty has been a longtime advocate for universal free meals.

“Now, I don’t ever think about lunch shaming,” Moriarty said. “I just see the imprint of these kids today, having a school lunch and a breakfast and how meaningful it is. And what a relief to their families, or whoever is caring for them.”

Minnesota joins states like Colorado, Vermont and Michigan in offering free school meals.

For more information on the law, click here.

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