Gov. Matt Meyer signed legislation Sept. 2 that will provide free breakfasts to students of all incomes, starting in the 2026-27 academic year. Do you believe these meals are worth the state’s expense or should their distribution be determined on a child-by-child basis, depending on their income level? Do you think the program should be expanded to lunch, as well?
Nothing in life is “free.” We’re paying for it. — Lauren Lubach
“Free” meals, whether breakfasts or lunches, should only be provided to those who really need them. Most of the food provided is thrown away. I work as a substitute teacher, and the waste of food I see is horrible. The money could be used in better ways. — Debbie Gorab
Who has time to make breakfast these days? All students should get “free” meals. Many parents work different shifts, and there are many single-parent homes, and there is just not enough time in the day to keep up with everything. We invest in lots of things I don’t agree with, but all our kids having healthy starts to their hectic school days is a small thing we can do for all students. It probably would be helpful to do free lunches, as well. A kid who is hungry is not going to be able to concentrate as well. I was shocked to see how many homeless kids get on the bus every day at a local pickup stop and how even the census takers came to school to make sure homeless kids got counted. Many of us have no idea what kids have to deal with these days. Two meals a day is a small investment. — N. Taylor Collins
Yes. We feed prisoners three meals a day because they are legally required to be in prison. We should also feed children, who are legally required to be in school. — Erika Barber
I strongly agree that all children, despite their families’ ability to pay or not pay, should have nutritious meals, and I have no problem with my taxpayer money being used for such a thing! — Pete Vigneri
All children should be entitled to free meals. If only one, then lunch. We should never discriminate whether a child is in need or not. When my grandchildren lived with me a few years, it helped so much for them to get lunches free, especially on days I couldn’t pack them. I see teachers buying simple supplies for their classrooms out of their own salaries. Our school taxes are high. I pay them on time, so a good lunch for free is great in my eyes. When someone says, “Oh, this child gets free food, but this one pays,” it also leads to students making fun of them via verbal bullying. This way, it’s a set menu. And any child with special food needs can pack his or her meals or get allergy requests to those in charge in advance. — Denise Bella
Nope. We had to pay for all meals. Free is not free; it’s taxpayer-supported. — Warren Avis
When do they build in the time for this? How much is the district responsible for and how much is the state (i.e., the taxpayers) paying for? Hopefully, it will only be fresh fruit and healthy options. — Diane Butters-Eastburn
In several districts, all children get free breakfasts and lunches already. Where will the additional funding go if it’s not needed by certain districts? — Erin Chronister
For the ones who can’t afford to buy meals at school, aren’t their families already getting electronic benefits transfers? This sounds like a parenting problem. The family is already getting the food, but the parents aren’t preparing it for their children. When are the politicians going to really try to fix a problem, instead of just throwing money at it? — Kevin McCarthy
Yes, it’s difficult for hungry children to learn. — Pam Coughlan Brown
Mom and Dad should make sure their children are fed before school. — Dale Abel Gibney
Yes, even the children of wealthy parents should be fed at the expense of Delaware taxpayers (kidding!). I could support meal programs for poor families, but this is an overreach by the General Assembly, which needs votes from the impoverished and middle class that will also benefit upper-income families who can more than afford breakfasts and lunches. But let’s extrapolate: Every child should be provided a family car, a tutor (since our education infrastructure is incompetent), an armed guard to escort him or her into school and a free pass on any challenging tests, to provide social advancement to the next grade. We should also provide free snacks between classes to support blood sugar levels. Oh, and each student should meet with a social worker between classes to bolster his or her self-esteem. Of course, this might require taxpayers to triple their school taxes, but how can we not support such initiatives? — Jeff Hall
Here’s my take. Those of us who are empty nesters should not have to pay for these programs through some sort of hidden tax. Let those with children in school foot the bill. It’s hard out here for older adults on limited incomes. — Willie Preacher
