Free Meals Return for All Portland Public Schools Students

During the pandemic, all students received free meals regardless of family income.

McDaniel Cafeteria, Leodis McDaniel High School. (Portland Public Schools)
By Eliza Aronson

Portland Public Schools is back to serving free breakfast and lunch for the upcoming school year thanks to additional funds allocated by Oregon’s Student Success Act.

The change comes after last school year, during which families not on free or reduced meal plans had to pay for meals after the district provided free food to students during the pandemic. The school district serves over 40,000 students.

Whitney Ellersick, senior director of nutrition services for PPS, announced in an email Aug. 12 that all students have been automatically included in the free meals program.

A 2019-20 PPS free and reduced-price meal eligibility report shows that before the pandemic a little over 38% of students in the district qualified for free or reduced meals.

The Student Success Act was passed in the 2019 legislative session and at the time was expected to invest over $2 billion in Oregon education every two years. The 2023-25 funding allocated $107.1 million for expanded access to school meals.

“Access to nutritious meals is a crucial component of student success and well-being, and we are thrilled to be able to take advantage of this opportunity on behalf of our students,” Ellersick said in the email.

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