St. Johns Public Schools will continue providing free breakfast and lunch to all students for the remainder of the school year, regardless of the state budget stalemate.
- The district confirmed free meals will continue through the end of the school year despite state budget uncertainty.
- A federal program is funding the meals thanks to families who completed free and reduced lunch applications.
- Parents expressed relief that school meals are one less worry during the potential government shutdown.
WATCH: St. Johns schools guarantee free meals will continue despite budget crisis
As Michigan faces a potential government shutdown due to budget disagreements at the state capitol, St. Johns Public Schools has confirmed that its free breakfast and lunch program will continue uninterrupted.
Superintendent Anthony Berthiaume said maintaining the program was a top priority for the district.
"We felt was imperative to keep because again, making sure that the basics of having our students fed throughout the school day was essential to help our learning," Berthiaume said.
The district qualified for a federal program that will fund the meals through the end of the current school year.
"We qualified because of all of our families that filled out the free and reduced applications. That's a huge benefit, and I want to thank our families for doing that," Berthiaume said.
Parents in my neighborhood expressed relief at the news. Brad Jorae, who has two children in the district who receive free hot lunch, appreciates the program's continuation.
"We don't know what everybody's situation is at home. Some of these kids depend on these meals. If they can have full bellies, ready to learn, ready to engage, that creates a more productive learning environment in the classroom," Jorae said.
With the state budget deadline just days away, parents in St. Johns can rest assured that lunch money is one fewer thing to worry about during this uncertain time.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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