Healthy School Meals for All in Colorado
Colorado’s Healthy School Meals for All (HSMA) program provides free breakfast and lunch to all students, regardless of economic background, and aims to strengthen farm-to-school systems and school food service workers’ pay. After unexpected increases in student participation, the program faced a significant budget shortfall that raised warning flags for program sustainability. In response, Colorado’s Joint Budget Committee called for a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to develop policy options that balance revenue and expenditures to be considered during the 2025 legislative session. The Urban Institute facilitated the TAG, engaged with stakeholders, and conducted other research to develop this report, which summarizes 27 policy options for the state to consider. Learn more and see the full report.
Sourced from the Urban Institute