The Colorado Department of Education is providing Colorado schools with nearly $24 million in grant funding to implement a free lunch program.

Approved by voters in 2022, the Healthy School Meals for All provides free breakfast and lunch to all public school students in the state, as well as wage increases for cafeteria staff. The program is funded through a tax increase on households making more than $300,000 a year.

Because initial estimates fell short of the actual costs, the program ran into fiscal challenges right from the start and had never been deployed in its entirety. A pair of ballot measures approved by voters last year allows the state to keep additional revenue and interest from income tax deductions to help pay for it.

The state education department said the two new grants will support local food purchasing training, technical assistance for school districts and producers and pay increases for school nutrition professionals.

The Local Food Grant will provide over $15 million in state funding for 131 school districts and 14 charter schools across the state this year to purchase Colorado-grown foods. Recipients will also establish Student Parent Advisory Committees to allow students and parents the opportunity to give feedback on menus and meal quality.

The Wages and Stipends Grant is the first dedicated funding source for cafeteria staff pay, with 151 districts receiving more than $8 million to provide wage increases for staff who prepare and serve school meals.

“When students have access to nutritious meals, they are better prepared to engage in learning and succeed in the classroom,” said Colorado Commissioner of Education Dr. Susana Córdova. “This funding helps schools strengthen their nutrition programs, invest in the professionals who make them possible, and build stronger connections with local farmers and communities that benefit students across Colorado.”