View in EDS

Healthy School Meals for All in Colorado: Policy Options and Stakeholder Input for a Sustainable Program. Research Report

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Healthy School Meals for All in Colorado: Policy Options and Stakeholder Input for a Sustainable Program. Research Report
Language: English
Authors: Emily Gutierrez, Maggie Reeves, Ariella Meltzer, Victoria Nelson, Fanny Terrones, Urban Institute, Center on Education Data and Policy
Source: Urban Institute. 2024.
Availability: Urban Institute. 2100 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037. Tel: 202-261-5687; Fax: 202-467-5775; Web site: http://www.urban.org
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 204
Publication Date: 2024
Sponsoring Agency: Colorado Department of Education
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Descriptors: Breakfast Programs, Lunch Programs, Budgeting, Educational Policy, Taxes, Financial Support, Income, Expenditures, Costs, Stakeholders, Eligibility, Food, Grants, Agricultural Occupations, Elementary Secondary Education
Geographic Terms: Colorado
Abstract: Colorado's Healthy School Meals for All (HSMA) program provides free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of economic background, and aims to strengthen farm-to-school systems and school food service workers' pay. After unexpected increases in student participation, the program faced a significant budget shortfall that raised warning flags for program sustainability. In response, Colorado's Joint Budget Committee called for a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to develop policy options that balance revenue and expenditures to be considered during the 2025 legislative session. Many students in Colorado are receiving free meals in schools because of HSMA, which is paid for by a voter-approved tax increase on high-earning Coloradans. The Colorado General Assembly will be considering how to sustain the program moving forward during the 2025 legislative session. The Urban Institute facilitated the TAG, engaged with stakeholders, and conducted other research to develop this report, which summarizes 27 policy options for the state to consider. This report, additional supporting documentation maintained by the Colorado Department of Education, and planned updates to the revenues and expenditures in the coming months will ensure the Joint Budget Committee, governor, Department of Education, legislators, stakeholders, and voters have the information they need to make HSMA sustainable.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED663672
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:Colorado's Healthy School Meals for All (HSMA) program provides free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of economic background, and aims to strengthen farm-to-school systems and school food service workers' pay. After unexpected increases in student participation, the program faced a significant budget shortfall that raised warning flags for program sustainability. In response, Colorado's Joint Budget Committee called for a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to develop policy options that balance revenue and expenditures to be considered during the 2025 legislative session. Many students in Colorado are receiving free meals in schools because of HSMA, which is paid for by a voter-approved tax increase on high-earning Coloradans. The Colorado General Assembly will be considering how to sustain the program moving forward during the 2025 legislative session. The Urban Institute facilitated the TAG, engaged with stakeholders, and conducted other research to develop this report, which summarizes 27 policy options for the state to consider. This report, additional supporting documentation maintained by the Colorado Department of Education, and planned updates to the revenues and expenditures in the coming months will ensure the Joint Budget Committee, governor, Department of Education, legislators, stakeholders, and voters have the information they need to make HSMA sustainable.