Today is the first day of school for the Morongo Unified School District’s 2022-2023 school year. As high desert students return to the classroom, it’s worth reminding children and their parents that our local school district continues to provide free meals to all students regardless of income. A similar policy was recently enacted across the state of California, and reporter Chris Fleischman joins us with a breakdown of both the state’s and our local district’s programs.
Because of the passage of Assembly Bill 130, which was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2021, California will become the first state to implement a statewide Universal Meals Program for all school children, regardless of income. Beginning this school year, the California Universal Meals Program expands the state’s Meal Mandate to include both a nutritiously adequate breakfast and lunch for all children each school day.
Morongo Unified School District has already been providing free meals to all students, regardless of income, since 2018, having received the community eligibility provision for federal funding before the 2018-2019 school year. The federal funding from the National School Lunch Program will remain in effect in MUSD, and all students, regardless of income, will continue to have access to no-cost meals during the 2022-2023 school year.
