Feeding students in need should always be a priority, but giving free lunch to families earning over 500% of the doesn鈥檛 make sense when schools across Minnesota are laying off teachers, cutting programs and struggling to make ends meet.
In real terms, that income threshold is well over $150,000 for a family of four. These are households that can afford to pack a sandwich or pay a small fee for a school lunch. In contrast, schools in rural Minnesota, including many in my district, are scraping to cover the basics.
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takes a balanced and reasonable approach. It keeps breakfast free for all students, ensuring every child starts the day with a nutritious meal, and preserves lunch assistance for families who genuinely need it. Rather than continuing a blanket subsidy for high-income households, the bill focuses our resources on students from lower- and middle-income families, where the need is real.
Minnesota Management and Budget shows that E-12 education already makes up Yet even with record-high spending, many districts are still being forced to make Why? Because too many of the dollars coming from St. Paul come with strings attached.
Unfunded mandates limit how schools can use their funding and ignore the unique needs of local communities. Teachers and school staff, not bureaucrats, know what their students need. That is why this bill is so important.
By refining eligibility for free school lunches and focusing benefits where they are needed most, HF 鈥�2201 will save Minnesota $111.8M in 2026, $117.2M in 2027, $119.6M in 2028, and $121.3M in 2029 鈥� for a total savings of $470,111,585 over four years. Those savings do not vanish into the general fund.
Instead, they are reinvested into Local Optional Revenue, giving districts more flexibility to address their specific challenges.
Whether it is hiring more teachers, reducing class sizes, investing in technology or fixing aging buildings, local leaders will finally have the tools and discretion to do what is best for their students.
This bill is a prime example of how we can solve problems without burdening taxpayers or placing more pressure on local governments. This bill is not about taking away meals from kids. This bill is about making smart choices with the money we have.
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Every student still gets breakfast at no charge. Families making more than $156,000 per year will pay for their children鈥檚 lunch, allowing the money saved to be directed into the school.
We talk a lot at the Capitol about local control and fiscal responsibility. HF 2201 is both. It puts resources where they make the biggest difference and gives districts the flexibility they have been asking for.
I am proud to support this bill and encourage my colleagues to do the same. Let鈥檚 prioritize our classrooms over costly, one-size-fits-all mandates.
Bidal Duran is a Republican from Bemidji representing Minnesota House 2A.
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