Senate Bill 4, known as The Healthy Universal School Meals for Children Act, passed unanimously in the House in March, making free meals at schools for every student in New Mexico a reality.

This bill, generated from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s FY24 budget proposal and sponsored by state Sen. Michael Padilla, makes school meals available at no cost for every student in the state. It passed 35-0 in the Senate on March 4.

Public school students had received free meals for two years because of federal funding stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. That funding expired this past school year, and Rio Rancho Public Schools has already seen lunch debt balances soar.

“Universal free meals were discontinued at the beginning of the ’22-’23 school year,” RRPS Communications Director Wyndham Kemsley said. “Since then, Rio Rancho Public Schools has seen a return to student lunch debt balances totaling $43,560 as of (last) week. This fact underscores a need in our community. With this legislation, we will be able to provide healthy school meals to all of our students, free of charge.  Research shows that children are better prepared to learn when they begin their day with a well-balanced breakfast followed by a healthy lunch. The district is committed to ensuring that hunger is not a barrier to learning, and this bill supports that goal.”

Although meals will be free for all K-12 students during the 2023-24 school year, RRPS is urging families to submit free lunch applications to ensure that other initiatives and funding continue.

To encourage families to submit applications, RRPS is giving away a brand-new 65-inch television to one applicant. Anyone who submits an application for their student will automatically be entered to win.
To submit an application and help ensure your child’s school continues to receive the correct funding, click here.