Board signs resolution to support Healthy School Meals

On Oct. 1, the Board of Education signed a resolution to support Colorado's Healthy School Meals.

RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT COLORADO’S HEALTHY SCHOOL MEALS

WHEREAS, no child in Colorado should experience hunger, especially at school;

WHEREAS, every public school student should benefit from access to healthy, locally sourced, and freshly prepared meals to support their academic success and physical and mental well-being;

WHEREAS, investing in nutritious school meals for all public school students, free from stigma or stress, enables those students to focus on learning and is a critical investment in the success of Colorado's public schools;

WHEREAS, investing in nutritious school meals also supports Colorado farmers and ranchers, strengthening Colorado's local food systems;

WHEREAS, since voters approved Proposition FF, the healthy school meals for all program went into effect in the 2023-24 state fiscal year and is reducing stigma, improving student physical and mental health and well-being, boosting academic success, and saving families money;

WHEREAS, the Healthy School Meals for All program has been embraced by Colorado schools and students, with all eligible school food authorities electing to participate in the program and meal participation increasing by more than 30% compared to the year before implementation;

WHEREAS, the Healthy School Meals for All program has proven to be an effective strategy for the goal of ending child hunger in Colorado;

WHEREAS, access to free school meals for all public school students, investment in local food purchasing, local food purchasing training and technical assistance, parent and student advisory committees, and wage boosts or stipends for frontline school nutrition professionals who are serving more students than ever, are all core components of the Healthy School Meals for All program established in Proposition FF and are critical for its effective implementation;

WHEREAS, with high participation and rising food costs causing the Healthy School Meals for All program's expenditures to exceed available revenue, Colorado's General Assembly referred two measures to the ballot this November - Proposition LL and MM - to protect existing funds and raise additional funds to support all students' ability to access free, quality, nutritious meals at school and to fully implement all components of the Healthy School Meals for All program, including those that have not yet been implemented;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Adams 12 Five Star Schools Board of Education stands firmly in support of Propositions LL and MM, which will ensure that Colorado's Healthy School Meals for All has sustainable funding to provide all Adams 12 students, as well as all public school students across Colorado, with access to the nutritious school meals needed to support their academic success and their long-term health and well-being.

ADOPTED BY THE ADAMS 12 FIVE STAR SCHOOLS BOARD OF EDUCATION AT ITS OCTOBER 1, 2025 BOARD MEETING

You can see all of our Board of Education resolutions on the district website.