AUGUSTA - The Maine House of Representatives gave final approval on Monday to LD 1183, sponsored by Rep. Sue Salisbury, D-Westbrook, which would establish the School Meal Equipment and Program Improvement Fund to be administered by the Maine Department of Education (DOE).
As amended, the bill would provide funding for DOE to issue grants to eligible school districts to purchase badly needed school kitchen and cafeteria equipment to help deliver appropriate meals to students and to support initiatives like the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Programs.
"Forty three percent of Maine students rely on meals delivered to them in school to get the nutrition they need each day," said Salisbury. "This bill will establish a pathway for schools to reliably access funding so that they can acquire and maintain the equipment needed to ensure our students don't go hungry."
Each year, the state receives funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for schools to purchase large pieces of equipment. This fall, it awarded $189,982 to partially fund 29 schools. The state has received $85,000 or less for these efforts every other year since October 2018.
Because current funding is inadequate, organizations like Full Plates Full Potential, a statewide nonprofit working to address childhood food insecurity by providing technical and financial assistance to schools and communities, are left to fill in the gaps. Last year, Full Plates reported receiving grant requests from six schools, totaling over $140,000, to fund large equipment purchases.
The bill faces additional votes.
Salisbury is serving her second term in the Maine House and represents District 128, part of Westbrook. She serves as House chair of the Legislature's Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.