(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that the state budget proposal he presented to the Connecticut General Assembly yesterday includes the funding necessary to provide all K-12 public school students in the state with breakfast at no cost to them or their families at the start of each school day.

Additionally, it includes funding to eliminate reduced-price lunch charges, making lunch free for students who currently qualify for reduced-price lunches.

Governor Lamont said that this $12.5 million investment is important in ensuring that all children have access to healthy meals, especially at the start of each school day. The proposal is currently being considered by the legislature’s Appropriations Committee.

“A healthy breakfast provides kids with the opportunity to start the day ready to learn and thrive, and too many of our young people do not have access to this basic life necessity,” Governor Lamont said. “Breakfast plays a crucial role in kids’ ability to focus and excel in the classroom. Every child, regardless of their family’s income, should be able to start the day with a healthy meal.”

“We thank Governor Lamont for proposing an investment that provides free school breakfast to all public school students and eliminates reduced-price lunch charges for roughly 13,000 additional students,” Connecticut Education Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker said. “This investment removes both financial barriers and social stigma that can stand in the way of student well-being and ensures every child can begin the school day nourished and ready to learn.”

To read Governor Lamont’s fiscal year 2027 midterm budget adjustment proposal, click here.