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Colorado voters on Tuesday will decide the future of the state’s popular universal free school meals program.
Proposition MM would raise taxes for a second time in three years on households that make more than $300,000 a year to help fund the state program.
The measure is one of two that asks voters to increase funding for the Healthy School Meals for All program, which provides free breakfast and lunch to students at participating schools.
The program has become more popular and, therefore, more expensive than expected. Money from Proposition FF, the 2022 ballot measure that created Healthy School Meals for All, hasn’t raised enough annual revenue to keep up with expenses.
The state needs about $150 million to fully fund the program this year, otherwise 382 of the 1,803 schools participating won’t be able to serve free meals starting in January. If the ballot measures don’t pass, families will have to either pay for meals or fill out federal forms to get free or reduced price meals.
Proposition MM asks a similar question to the 2022 ballot measure that created the universal school meals program.
Proposition MM asks voters for $95 million more for the Healthy School Meals for All program by limiting tax deductions for households that make more than $300,000 a year. The money could also be used to administer the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which helps provide food assistance to families and was cut back by Congress.
The ballot measure would affect an estimated 200,000 Colorado households, or about 6% of households, and raise their taxes by an average of $486 more a year.
Jason Gonzales is a reporter covering higher education and the Colorado legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Contact Jason at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.
