KENTWOOD, MI – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer urged state lawmakers to include free meals for Michigan public school students in the state’s 2025-26 budget, which has still not yet been finalized as an Oct. 1 deadline looms.

Whitmer advocated for the continuation of free school lunches during a Monday, Sept. 22, appearance at Kentwood’s Hamilton Elementary and Early Childhood Center, where she handed out lunches to second- and third-graders before speaking to reporters about the importance of the free meal program for Michigan families.

“When our kids are hungry, it’s nearly impossible to learn and to take in the material that is being taught at school,” Whitmer told reporters Monday. “Outside the classroom, free school meals has had countless benefits for our students’ social, mental and physica

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