While many feared free lunches for Michigan's public school kids would be on the chopping block this year, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is "working with the legislature" to finalize a state budget that includes universal school breakfast and lunch, according to a spokesperson for the governor.

The program's possible elimination has been the source of anxiety for school administrators and state education leaders, as the budget passed by the Michigan House earlier in the summer did not include a specific allocation for the meal program. Republican leaders argued their version of the budget made funding flexible so schools could spend money on universal meals only if they wanted.

On Thursday, Sept. 25, Whitmer and legislative leaders announced a budget deal that would narrowly avoid a state go

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