Source: Laura Leslie, WRAL, 6/22/22

State Senate Democrats are calling on state Republican leaders to use state funds to extend free breakfast and lunch to public school students in the upcoming state budget. The estimated cost to the state would be around $93.4 million. Kindergarten through 12th-grade students have been receiving free school meals since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. It’s been funded by a temporary expansion of the federal program that offsets school meal costs for low-income students. But that expansion is scheduled to end June 30.

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