Together for School Meals

Volunteers take to the phones as campaign for free school meals measure begins

FARGO (KVRR) — Supporters of the ballot measure that would offer free school meals to students gathered to remind people to vote ‘Yes’ this November. Volunteers first heard speakers from Together for School Meals coalition, who organized the event, as well as from the president of the AFL-CIO, who hosted it. President of North Dakota United Nick Archuleta also spoke…

Free school lunch measure approved for November ballot in North Dakota

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) –  A constitutional measure to fund school lunches will appear on the ballot in November across North Dakota. Secretary of State Michael Howe reviewed the petitions submitted to his office in April and accepted nearly 50,000 of the more than 57,000 signatures submitted. The measure needed more than 31,000 signatures to get on the ballot. “Together for…

Nearly double the signatures needed turned in to get free school meals on the ballot in North Dakota

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) — There is a very strong chance North Dakota voters will decide a constitutional initiative to offer breakfast and lunch to all students at no cost. The group “Together for School Meals” has delivered petitions to the Secretary of State’s office in Bismarck. They turned in nearly 19-hundred petition packets containing around 57,000 signatures. A little more…

Citizen-led initiative to gather signatures for free school lunches in North Dakota

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — Over the last few years, lawmakers have discussed the possibility of making school lunches free for all K-12 public schools in North Dakota. And this year, a citizen-led initiative is taking its chances by asking their community. “We want to bring free school meals, which include breakfast and lunch, to all students in North Dakota. We…

North Dakota lawmakers weigh impact of free school meal proposal

Cost of program tough to predict, making it challenging for state to plan for potential ballot measure

Lynelle Johnson, director of child nutrition and food distribution for the Department of Public Instruction, speaks about the cost of a free school meals program during a committee hearing on Dec. 10, 2025. (Photo by Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — North Dakota legislators are preparing for the impact of a free school meals program that could…