School meals ballot petition approved for circulation in North Dakota

BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — North Dakota Secretary of State Michael Howe announced Tuesday he has approved the format of a constitutional ballot measure that would require the state to cover the cost of free school meals to K-12 students.

Sponsors of the ballot measure have one year to submit 31,164 signatures of qualified North Dakota electors to the secretary of state to be considered for the ballot, according to Howe’s office.

If the signatures are submitted by July 6, and are validated, the measure will appear on the general election ballot Nov. 3.

Robin Nelson, chair of the ballot measure sponsoring committee, said the committee hopes to have the measure be decided on that November ballot.

“It’s go time,” Nelson said on Tuesday. “Once we get everything printed, we’ll start collecting signatures in early January.”

The organization, Together for School Meals, is heading up the informational campaign for the ballot measure, she said.

The ballot measure would require public schools to provide free breakfast and lunch to students. Private schools, Bureau of Indian Education schools and other tribal schools could opt in to participate in the program.

During a recent legislative committee meeting, Lynelle Johnson, director of child nutrition and food distribution for the Department of Public Instruction, told lawmakers the estimated cost to provide free school meals for the 2027-29 biennium is $134 million. She also said the figure is preliminary and may change as she continues to evaluate the measure.

The measure says if the Legislature is unable to identify funding, the dollars should come from the earnings of the state Legacy Fund.

(Story written by Michael Achterling – North Dakota Monitor)