All Massachusetts public school students will now have the privilege of receiving complimentary lunch, providing a significant economic relief to families. This initiative is made possible by the implementation of a new tax on millionaires in the state. Generating approximately $1 billion, the tax will contribute to the state’s $56 billion fiscal budget for 2024. A portion of these funds will be designated to grant all public-school students access to free weekday meals.
This new tax, which was approved by voters last year and became effective in 2023, applies to Massachusetts residents earning over $1 million. It adds an extra 4% to their income above this threshold, making the state’s income tax rate one of the highest in the country. Massachusetts joins other Democratic-led states in pursuing wealth taxes to support social programs, such as providing free school lunches for children. Advocates of wealth taxes argue that the wealthiest individuals have benefited from tax advantages unavailable to low- and middle-income families, necessitating additional taxation on the rich.
With the recent enactment of the budget by Governor Maura Healy, Massachusetts becomes the seventh state to ensure free school lunches for students after the expiration of COVID-19 funding for these meals. Representative Jim McGovern, a Democrat from Massachusetts, emphasized the transformative impact of free universal school meals, stating that it will significantly improve the lives of children by eradicating food insecurity during the school day.
In addition to free school lunches, a substantial portion of the wealth tax revenue, approximately $524 million, will be allocated to education. This will further expand access to child care and provide financial aid to college students. The remainder of the tax will fund transportation initiatives, including bridge repairs and developments in mass transportation.
The implementation of free school lunches in Massachusetts comes at a critical time, as many families struggle with financial strain caused by inflation and rising food insecurity. The expiration of a pandemic-relief program that funded free breakfast and lunch for U.S. schoolchildren has exacerbated hardships and concerns surrounding hunger. Advocates against hunger have urged legislators to expand school meal programs, emphasizing the negative impact of hunger on a child’s educational performance. A recent study by the Greater Boston Food Bank found that 33% of households in Massachusetts experienced food insecurity in 2022.
The provision of free school lunches in Massachusetts is both a crucial step towards combating food insecurity and an investment in the well-being and future success of the state’s students.
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