During the height of the pandemic, the federal government allocated funding to feed all students in public schools, regardless of income status, for two years. One need not apply. Caregivers who were on auto-billing for their child’s meals no longer had to worry about if their account had enough money in it to process the re-fill level. Their child just got access to school breakfast and lunch.

After the federal funding for the free meals expired in June 2022, a push began to get the funding back, led in part by Hunger Solutions New York and Community Food Advocates. Lawmakers proposed the “Healthy School Meals for All NY Kids” to Governor Hochul to consider including in New York’s 2023 budget. According to Spectrum News: “That's why lawmakers proposed the Healthy School Meals For All program, asking Gov. Kathy Hochul to commit $200 million to fund free school meals for all students in the next state budget. Sponsor Sen. Michelle Hinchey says that's .01% of the state's total $220 billion budget, and would save families about $140 per school-aged child per month.”

According to their website: “Providing free meals for all students—regardless of income—is a proven strategy to reduce food insecurity, support learning, improve mental and physical health, and bolster educational and economic equity. Yet at the start of this school year, more than 726,000 students in nearly 2,000 schools across the state lost access to free school meals.”

Governor Hochul did not end up including it in the state’s budget, maintaining that the money should continue to come from the federal level. And yet, a spokesperson with the governor's office said in a statement: "In her Executive Budget, Gov. Hochul allocated $34.5 billion in total school aid — the highest level of state aid in history, and fully funded Foundation Aid for the first time." In terms of food, the spokesperson said: "In addition, we are working closely with our federal counterparts and encourage them to reinstate the federal universal meal program that ended last school year,"

With school reaching its 100th day in this academic year, it is unclear what if any effort is being made.