Funding Bolsters Free and Reduced-Price Meal Program

03/13/18
Zach Hands
Conduit Street

MACo submitted written testimony in support with amendments of House Bill 1235, “Maryland Meals for Achievement In-Classroom Breakfast Program – Eligibility and Annual Appropriation”, to the House Ways and Means Committee on March 13, 2018.

The bill allows schools that fall below 40% of students that qualify for the free and reduced-price meal (FRPM) program to remain eligible for one year following the fall below the 40% threshold. This allows schools that experience an anomaly in those eligible for the program to not lose eligibility from what could be a blip on the radar.

Additionally, the bill requires the governor to appropriate 11.9 million to the Maryland Meals for Achievement (MMFA) program annually. MACo generally supports the principles of the bill, but is seeking an amendment that would not make the annual allocation concrete, so as to not potentially siphon off resources from other educational priorities.

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