How Ohio schools could offer free breakfasts and lunches to students
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio lawmakers are reaching across the aisle to provide free breakfast and lunch for students.
Senate Bill 109 would provide no-cost breakfast and lunch to public and charter schools that opt in to the national school breakfast and lunch programs. The bipartisan bill was sponsored by Sen. Louis W. Blessing III (R-Colerain Township) and Sen. Kent Smith (D-Euclid). Blessing said not only would S.B. 109 help families, it would do so at little cost to the state.
Under the legislation, the state would reimburse public and charter schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program and its breakfast counterpart. Low-income students are eligible to receive reduced-price or free meals through the program, and each qualifying meal served receives federal reimbursement. Under S.B. 109, the state, rather than the school districts, would cover the costs that are not federally reimbursed.
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Blessing said academic performance in Ohio is strongly linked to poverty, with districts in poorer areas performing worse. Smith seconded this, pointing out that the number of homeless students in Ohio has doubled over the last decade. Both senators told NBC4 they believe this legislation will help fuel students for success.
'I am convinced this is going to improve test scores in the long run,' Blessing said.
Blessing said it would not only reduce costs for families, but it would positively affect students. He said truancy is an issue in Ohio, and free meals could serve as a good incentive for students to attend school. Families would also be able to save time in the mornings by not needing to prepare breakfast or pack lunches.
'Ensuring a student gets two out of their three daily meals will help them advance academically, emotionally and physically,' Smith said. 'Kids only make up 22% of Ohio's population, but they are 100% of our future. By providing basic existence needs to Ohio kids, we are investing in our future workforce.'
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Currently, at least five central Ohio school districts are part of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, which gives state reimbursement on top of the federal funds.
For non-CEP districts, students pay an average of $1.43 for breakfast, $2.83 for elementary lunches, $3.11 for middle school lunches and $3.41 for high school lunches. This means the average high schooler would owe more than $600 if they bought lunch every school day. Blessing said the legislation could save Ohio families thousands.
S.B 109 would also remove financial weight from school districts that currently balance these costs. Bexley City Schools, for instance, does not qualify for CEP participation but allocates $100,000 to ensure all students have access to free breakfast. Bexley does opt in to the National School Lunch Program, so S.B. 109 would alleviate these costs.
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Blessing said some constituents have voiced concerns about the cost of the legislation. He said S.B. 109 would cost the state $297 million annually, which the legislation proposes to come out of the state's general revenue fund's line item 'school meal programs.' He said for a state with a $100 billion budget, that cost is fairly inexpensive for the outcome. Further, he said, it would not require property taxes, with no increased cost to families.
The General Assembly is currently considering options for the biennial budget, which will go into effect in July. Recommendations from Gov. Mike DeWine would have about 15% of the budget go toward education. See previous coverage of the state's budget in the video player above.
The bill has been referred to the Finance Committee but does not yet have a scheduled hearing.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Here's what to know about American Samoans in Alaska who are being prosecuted after trying to vote
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Here's what to know about the prosecutions in Alaska and the status of American Samoans when it comes to voting. What is the Alaska case about? The investigation began after Tupe Smith, a mom in the cruise-ship stop of Whittier, decided to run for a vacant seat on the regional school board in 2023. She was unopposed and won with about 95% of the vote. That's when she learned she wasn't allowed to hold public office because she wasn't a U.S. citizen. Smith says she knew she wasn't allowed to vote in federal elections but thought she could vote in local or state races, and that she never would have voted if she knew it wasn't legal. She says she told elections workers that she was a U.S. national, not a citizen, and was told to check a box saying she was a citizen anyway. About 10 months later, troopers returned to Whittier and issued court summonses to her husband and nine other American Samoans. 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In Hawaii, one resident who was born in American Samoa, Sai Timoteo, ran for the state Legislature in 2018 before learning she wasn't allowed to hold public office or vote. She also avoided charges. Is there any legislation to fix this? American Samoans can become U.S. citizens — a requirement not just for voting, but for certain jobs, such as those that require a security clearance. However, the process can be costly and cumbersome. Given that many oppose automatic citizenship, the territory's nonvoting representative in Congress, Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, has introduced legislation that would streamline the naturalization of American Samoans who do wish to become U.S. citizens. The bill would allow U.S. nationals in outlying U.S. territories — that is, American Samoa — to be naturalized without relocating to one of the U.S. states. 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Here's what to know about American Samoans in Alaska who are being prosecuted after trying to vote
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Here's what to know about the prosecutions in Alaska and the status of American Samoans when it comes to voting. What is the Alaska case about? The investigation began after Tupe Smith, a mom in the cruise-ship stop of Whittier, decided to run for a vacant seat on the regional school board in 2023. She was unopposed and won with about 95% of the vote. That's when she learned she wasn't allowed to hold public office because she wasn't a U.S. citizen. Smith says she knew she wasn't allowed to vote in federal elections but thought she could vote in local or state races, and that she never would have voted if she knew it wasn't legal. She says she told elections workers that she was a U.S. national, not a citizen, and was told to check a box saying she was a citizen anyway. About 10 months later, troopers returned to Whittier and issued court summonses to her husband and nine other American Samoans. While Smith appeals the charges against her, the state filed charges against the others in April. The state argues that Smith's false claim of citizenship was intentional, and her claim to the contrary was undercut by the clear language on the voter application forms she filled out in 2020 and 2022. The forms said that if the applicant did not answer yes to being over 18 years old and a U.S. citizen, 'do not complete this form, as you are not eligible to vote.' Why can't American Samoans vote in the U.S.? The 14th Amendment to the Constitution promises U.S. citizenship to those born on U.S. soil and subject to its jurisdiction. American Samoa has been U.S. soil since 1900, when several of its chiefs ceded their land and vowed allegiance to the United States. For that reason, Smith's lawyers argue, American Samoans must be recognized as U.S. citizens by birthright, and they should be allowed to vote in the U.S. But the islands' residents have never been so considered — Congress declined to extend birthright citizenship to American Samoa in the 1930s — and many American Samoans don't want it. They worry that it would disrupt their cultural practices, including communal land ownership. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals cited that in 2021 when it declined to extend automatic citizenship to those born in American Samoa, saying it would be wrong to force citizenship on those who don't want it. The Supreme Court declined to review the decision. People born in all other U.S. territories — Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam — are U.S. citizens. They can vote in U.S. elections if they move to a state. American Samoans can participate in local elections on American Samoa, including for a nonvoting representative in Congress. Have other states prosecuted American Samoans for trying to vote? Supporters of the American Samoans in Whittier have called the prosecutions unprecedented. One of Smith's attorneys, Neil Weare, suggested authorities are going after 'low-hanging fruit' in the absence of evidence that illegal immigrants frequently cast ballots in U.S. elections. Even state-level investigations have found voting by noncitizens to be exceptionally rare. In Oregon, officials inadvertently registered nearly 200 American Samoan residents to vote when they got their driver's licenses under the state's motor-voter law. Of those, 10 cast ballots in an election, according to the Oregon Secretary of State's office, but officials found they did not intend to break the law and no crime was committed. In Hawaii, one resident who was born in American Samoa, Sai Timoteo, ran for the state Legislature in 2018 before learning she wasn't allowed to hold public office or vote. She also avoided charges. Is there any legislation to fix this? American Samoans can become U.S. citizens — a requirement not just for voting, but for certain jobs, such as those that require a security clearance. However, the process can be costly and cumbersome. Given that many oppose automatic citizenship, the territory's nonvoting representative in Congress, Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, has introduced legislation that would streamline the naturalization of American Samoans who do wish to become U.S. citizens. The bill would allow U.S. nationals in outlying U.S. territories — that is, American Samoa — to be naturalized without relocating to one of the U.S. states. It would also allow the Department of Homeland Security to waive personal interviews of U.S. nationals as part of the process and to reduce fees for them. ___ Bohrer reported from Juneau, Alaska, and Johnson from Seattle. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
