How Gov. Tim Walz is Highlighting Free School Meals and Sparking Talks in Alabama

Baldwin County’s school system is growing rapidly and isn't likely to be associated with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz anytime soon.

However, officials in this large school district, located in one of Alabama’s most conservative and fastest-growing areas, adopted a policy last spring that’s now gaining national attention. This happened after Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. Similar to the state of Minnesota, Baldwin County is offering free breakfast and lunch to all students, no matter their income.

“I think this shows how the Baldwin County School System is trying to be innovative and supportive of the community,” said Superintendent Eddie Tyler. “We know people are struggling. Just look at the economy. We’re not focusing on politics; we’re simply reaching out to the community to say, ‘we’re here for you.’”

The policy of providing free breakfast and lunch for all students in Baldwin County for the 2024-2025 school year is part of a growing trend in Alabama. The Jefferson County School System is also participating, meaning the six largest school districts in Alabama, serving over 191,000 students, are using federal and local funds to provide meals to everyone.

Alabama still doesn't have a statewide program for free meals in schools, and it's not being discussed, even two years after the pandemic-era funding for free school meals ran out. Only nine states, including Minnesota, have such a program, with Minnesota being the fourth state to implement it in early 2023.

This topic is receiving more attention now that Walz has joined Harris on the national stage at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. During his speech, Walz highlighted his state’s program, criticizing conservative states for “banning books” while Minnesota was “banishing hunger.”

“This really brings attention to the benefits of free meal services,” said Diane Pratt-Heavner, spokesperson for the national School Nutrition Association. “Hunger doesn’t discriminate by income, and it can affect a student’s ability to focus on their studies. Every child needs equal access to healthy meals at school.”

Though Harris’s platform doesn’t call for a federal meal program for students, adding Walz to the Democratic ticket is sparking debate on whether taxpayers should fund such a program.

“It’s a good idea,” said David Schultz, a political science professor at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, referring to the Minnesota program that began last year. “Kids shouldn’t be hungry during the day, and it seems popular. But we don’t yet know the total cost.”

Alabama's School District Decision

In Alabama, unlike Minnesota, the decision to provide free meals to students using taxpayer money is left to each school district.

Eric Mackey, Alabama’s state superintendent, said he doesn’t expect any changes soon. He mentioned that more schools qualify for free meals because the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) lowered the eligibility requirements last fall. Schools or districts with at least 40% of students qualifying for federal meals can offer free breakfast and lunch to all. This threshold dropped to 25% last year, allowing more districts, like Baldwin and Jefferson counties, to join the program.

Participation is voluntary, so not every eligible school system provides free meals. In Alabama, 536 schools adopted free breakfast and lunch under the new guidelines, which is 66% of the 812 eligible schools, according to the Food Research & Action Center.

The program runs on a four-year cycle, meaning after four years, a school system must reassess its eligibility and funding to continue.

John Wilson, CFO of the Baldwin County School System, said they receive up to 80% of the costs reimbursed by the federal government, with local funds covering around $2 million this year.

“A local community needs to consider how to implement this,” said Mackey. “We’re pleased when districts do this and want to support them, but we have no plans to make it statewide.”

Most schools in Alabama’s Black Belt region are also covered by federal funds, including Pickens County, where 30.1% of children live in poverty, compared to the national average of 12.4%.

“As long as participation is high, there’s no cost to our system,” said Carmen Burton, the school system’s child nutrition program director.

In Decatur, the federal government covers the entire meal program cost because more than 60% of the student body automatically qualifies for free meals through programs like SNAP.

“The benefit is that all students can eat for free without the hassle of paperwork,” said Decatur Schools Superintendent Michael Douglas. “This ensures that students are well-nourished and ready to learn, especially middle-class families struggling with rising food costs.”

The Potential for a Statewide Program

Douglas believes a statewide program, if feasible, “would be tremendous.”

“Every school system faces some level of food insecurity,” he said. “If we want students to learn, we must first meet their basic needs.”

State Representative Barbara Drummond from Mobile said the closest example of a statewide meal program was backed by lawmakers last spring, which included $10 million for summer EBT administrative funding to help families during the summer.

Drummond emphasized that funding meals for children in Alabama isn’t a “partisan” issue, given the state’s high poverty rate.

Alabama State Senator Arthur Orr, who oversees the state’s education budget, said the state hasn’t considered a universal meal program for K-12 students, nor has it been requested by the education community.

“We’ve typically left that decision to individual districts,” Orr said, agreeing with Mackey’s comments.

Drummond believes that if the issue were raised, there would be bipartisan support.

“It’s not about being blue or red,” Drummond said. “It’s an issue, period. Even my colleagues on the other side can’t say we shouldn’t feed our children. I applaud what Minnesota has done, but here in Alabama, this isn’t a partisan issue.”

Costs and Benefits of the Program

In Minnesota, the program has faced political opposition, mainly from Republicans concerned about the cost of providing free meals to all students.

Walz warned lawmakers last year that the program could be expensive, though no one knows the exact cost. News reports estimated it at $200 million a year after Walz signed the policy into law.

Schultz, the political science professor, noted that Minnesota benefited from an $18 billion budget surplus, and Democrats, who control state government, made free meals a priority for Walz. However, economists are predicting a $1 billion deficit, meaning tough decisions will be needed in early 2025. He said the free meals program is “one of the most expensive” initiatives approved in recent years.

Republicans are concerned about costs and believe a national discussion on free meals should include an assessment of the needs.

The Trump administration initially supported free meals during the pandemic through a waiver, but congressional Republicans are hesitant to continue with universal policies. A House Republican budget proposal suggests eliminating the CEP used by schools in Alabama and across the country.

Project 2025, a controversial plan by the Heritage Foundation for a future Republican administration, also opposes federal school meal programs, criticizing them as “entitlement programs” that should be scaled back.

Former President Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, has said he doesn’t support Project 2025.

Republican Minnesota State Senator Andrew Mathews said his state already had a strong free and reduced lunch program and that the new universal program mostly helps families who can already afford it.

Mathews added that Walz and the state’s Democrats “falsely attacked” Republicans who opposed the program as “wanting kids to go hungry.”

“Every school official I spoke to opposed the free meal program and said they’d rather use their share of the $400 million to address other needs since they already provided meals to those who needed them,” Mathews said. “States should also address rising grocery costs and reduce taxes for working families instead of adding more taxpayer burdens. The cost of these programs is only expected to rise.”

The Benefits

Darcy Stuber, public policy chair for the Minnesota School Nutrition Association, said funding concerns are valid, but Minnesota “has always put children first.”

She compared providing meals to students to taxpayers funding books, desks, and other school materials.

“It’s part of the school day,” she said. “For our students, it’s nice to know their books, laptops, and meals are taken care of and part of the day.”

Stuber is excited to see this issue brought to a national spotlight, hoping to eliminate the paperwork and administrative headaches of running a school meal program.

“It gives us the chance to feed all students without any other factors,” she said. “We don’t have to ask families for payment. It levels the playing field. Students can relax, enjoy lunch, and focus on their day.”