(The South Dakota Broadcasters Association contributed to this story)— The South Dakota House Education Committee voted 13-2 today (Feb. 3, 2025) to send a school meal funding bill to the Joint Appropriations Committee with a “do not pass” recommendation.
House Bill 1089 would cover meal copays for reduced-price eligible students. The bill would benefit students from families earning between 130% and 185% of the federal poverty level.
Miss Hot Springs Julia Stanek, representing Feeding South Dakota through her Miss America platform, said one in six kids in South Dakota face hunger.
Bill sponsor Rep. Kadyn Wittman of Sioux Falls recalled choosing between eating lunch or skipping it in order to save her parents that 40 cents.
Some legislators opposed the bill saying they had seen a considerable amount of wasted food in school lunchrooms.
Estimates from the Bureau of Finance and Management show an annual cost of $616,000.
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