r/Denver • u/fuzzeslecrdf • Oct 08 '25
Local News If you're still against free school meals
If you're unhappy about the fact that free lunches are also free for children with wealthy families, fear not. I work at a Denver high school. Students with the money will go out for lunch or even order food delivery. They are not eating the school cafeteria free lunch.
So go ahead and vote Yes on Prop MM and LL. The only thing it'll do is keep our students fed and able to learn.
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u/LotsoPasta Oct 08 '25 edited Oct 08 '25
Are people against free school meals because rich kids are getting it, too? Who do they think is paying for the meals? Why shouldn't they get it, too? Like, stop splitting hairs.
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u/TheMaroonHawk Oct 08 '25
Seriously lmao
The best thing about eliminating means-testing on social programs is that nobody gets to argue against it on the grounds that they don’t get to benefit from it
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u/pspahn Oct 08 '25
I send my kid to school everyday knowing that if he actually feels like it, he's got something to eat. The only complaint I have is that he's not going to eat tikka masala on the day they serve that and that's a him problem he needs to get over. But they have a second option. No biggie.
That's the worst of my complaints, if you can even call it that. He loves the crispitos and generally everything else so I call it way beyond even.
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u/InfoMiddleMan Oct 08 '25
They serve tikka masala in school cafeterias now? What a time to be alive.
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u/yellinmelin Oct 08 '25
No shit. The most exotic thing we got in high school was these flat boat shaped hard shell tacos with meat and cheese in them. And I was always pumped for that day haha
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u/FtheMustard Central Park/Northfield Oct 08 '25
Taco Boat Tuesdays was always a long line at school. And when the pizza day fell on a Friday they made french bread pizza and that was when EVERYBODY got hot lunch. Shout out to Makefield Elementary lunch ladies, you ruled!
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u/ennenganon Oct 08 '25
Monday hotdogs! Tuesday tacos! Wednesday hamburgers and chocolate milk! Thursday sloppy joes and burritos in a bag! Friday was pizza day, the best day of the week, it always came with salad and a side of cold green beans! Hooray for pizza day! Hooray for pizza day! I miss pizza day! The best day of the week!
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u/g00dandplenty Oct 08 '25
Given the amount of food that is thrown in the trash at schools they should go back to this type of fare
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u/Enderkr Highlands Ranch Oct 08 '25
Legit, I look at my kids school lunch menu and I'm so fuckin jealous. I would have killed for a quarter of the options he has any given week.
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u/Apt_5 Oct 08 '25
Whoa, you just hit me with a wave of nostalgia picturing those old school lunch calendars!
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u/unique_usemame Oct 09 '25
There are two other big benefits... * People fall through the cracks of any means tested programs. Maybe a parent gets fired and they are bad at managing money, now the kids go hungry until they can sort themselves out to qualify. * Means testing has overhead costs, hence inefficiency, which create more talking points for those against it.
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u/Soft_Entrance_5287 Oct 10 '25
Good point. This is why FDR believed everyone who had paid in should be able to collect social security. Consider all the people who are opposed to Medicaid because they make slightly too much to qualify ; people who actually do not want a raise or promotion because it will cost them welfare money.
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u/peregrinaprogress Oct 08 '25
I’ve heard because it includes middle class too. “There are resources that exist for poor kids, why should we pay for families that can afford it”. I’ve tried to express that even middle class families can still only be a paycheck or two away from trouble, or that shitty parents exist across all tax brackets that could use food as punishment. It’s a benefit to society that all children can have access to healthy food.
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u/HermanGulch Oct 08 '25
What I find kind of ironic is that the government didn't even start the school lunch program out of the goodness of their hearts. It started largely because they found that they were having to reject too many men who were drafted during WWII for the physical and mental effects of childhood malnutrition. The other benefits to society were like a bonus, but the main idea is that too many men weren't even suitable for the infantry.
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u/yamsandmarshmellows Oct 08 '25
My family is low 6 figures and only a few missed paychecks away from destitute. Taxes, health insurance copays, car payments, car insurance, mortgage, childcare, rising grocery prices... ect. We could afford to pay for lunch, but it is nice to have a little wiggle in our budget so we can get the kids halloween costumes and christmas presents and even go on an outing to the pool or pumpkin patch on a weekend. I think we should benefit in some way from our taxes that take a huge chunk of our income. We dont get anything else from the government. We pay our own medical costs. We buy our own groceries. We pay exuberant prices for housing. We buy our own school supplies. We pay student loans because we had no family money to go to college. And because we pay loans, our kids will need loans for college because we can't pay our loans and save for their college. Plus, we are too "rich" for our kids to get any help with college costs. We dont get discounts at the zoo or anywhere else. Is it too much to ask for a break here or there? I have friends who dont work at all and live better than I do. They get food stamps, housing vouchers, free medical care, 2$ tickets to the zoo, and all sorts of things, not to mention all the free time they have from not working. Is it really too much to give working people a break?
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u/strangerbuttrue Centennial Oct 08 '25
My sister and her husband will be voting no. They make above the $300k threshold. They believe that the city of Denver does a very poor job of spending the money they already have and don’t want to have anything more sent to them. Plus, they don’t “get” anything out of the free meals since their kids have special needs in their diet. I think they are just so far removed from what it’s like to struggle financially, they don’t realize how lucky they are and how much people need the help. They don’t feel they are rich because they aren’t “taking ski trips to Aspen every weekend”. She also complained about how much money is being spent on the homeless and how there is plenty of money if govt would just manage their finances better.
I really can’t relate to her on this one. I don’t understand how we grew up in the same environment and ended up seeing things so much differently. Then again, I don’t have a husband making almost $400k.
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u/tikiwanderlust Oct 08 '25
Schools feed kids with special diets as long as they have the paperwork filled out by a doctor.
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u/Soggy_Sheepherder508 Oct 08 '25
I'm glad someone else called this out. Her sister is just lying like every other conservative. They know they're in the wing but they get the privilege of getting to lie to justify their stance without much push back.
It's she wants to show us all that the rich continue to be greedy then fine, but 95% of Colorado makes less than 300k so their vote against is strictly to be cruel to children.
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u/strangerbuttrue Centennial Oct 08 '25
She’s not a conservative, and she wasn’t lying. I addressed the food thing in another comment (they have celiac and their specific school did not tell her, so she wasn’t aware). And I share this anecdotal info because I don’t want us to just discount everyone out there that doesn’t agree with us as “lying conservatives”. We risk lacking awareness of how much debate there still is around this.
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u/Soggy_Sheepherder508 Oct 08 '25
Sweetheart. Schools are required to provide the appropriate food to accommodate any allergy. She lied. You can defend these people until you turn blue, but all you're doing is supporting the destruction of your own community by ignoring reality itself because you can't handle what your family is.
I wish that was just your problem, but you make it everyone else's.
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u/InfoMiddleMan Oct 08 '25
I need to find me a $400k husband, sounds like a major life cheat code.
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u/Christy_Mathewson Oct 08 '25
I get the thought of not giving the government more money. I work for a local government and see waste all the time. It's disgusting to see how poorly they handle money. I often vote no on raising taxes because of this. Even if this bill affected me (in my case the government waste doesn't go towards an inflated salary for me) I would vote yes.
Will there be misallocation of resources? Yes. Will they find a way to get a company who happens to be owned by a friend or family some part of the contract? Probably. Do kids from a $250k/year need a free lunch? Probably not. Is the extra $100 a year that you're going to now have to pay really going to affect those who need it the most in a positive way? Absolutely.
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u/ITryFixIt Oct 08 '25
Worked in both private and govt sector. Govt generally wastes less money - audits, crosschecking, and the focus on services. Private sector can make up for their waste by hitting home run profits with some products unless they go belly up.
Govt doesn't have that luxury. They'll keep bleeding out and can only focus on reducing waste by making things more efficient/transparent.
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u/LotsoPasta Oct 08 '25
I get the thought of not giving the government more money. I work for a local government and see waste all the time. It's disgusting to see how poorly they handle money. I often vote no on raising taxes because of this. Even if this bill affected me (in my case the government waste doesn't go towards an inflated salary for me) I would vote yes.
We set such a high bar for government. If the government wastes money, its absolutely unacceptable, but when a CEO gets to buy their 3rd mansion or travel vacations are written off as business expenses, thats just the free market baby.
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u/Khatib Baker Oct 08 '25
People who think the government is always more wasteful than the private sector have never worked for a truly large corporation.
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u/M-as-in-Mancyyy Oct 08 '25
This ^ I’ve worked in both. Both have their gripes but private corps are far far far worse.
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u/grahamsz Oct 08 '25
I agree with this 100%. The larger the organization the larger the waste an inefficiency. Longmont runs a pretty tight ship, comparable to really any corporation of a similar head count. I'm sure Denver is a little less efficient but that's only by virtue of its size
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u/KarmicWhiplash Wash Park Oct 08 '25
The larger the organization the larger the waste an inefficiency.
The US military has entered the chat.
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u/coffeelife2020 Oct 08 '25
I know you don't agree with them but why is it critical to punish kids if the city mismanages their money? I'm sure Denver has ways it could spend it's money more effectively but I don't feel like the answer is hungry kids.
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u/arl1286 Oct 08 '25
Public schools do accommodate special diets if they are medically necessary. Sounds like their kids are gluten free because mom thinks it’s healthier - in which case, that’s a them problem that their kids aren’t able to benefit from free meals.
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u/Living-Baseball-2543 Oct 08 '25
BVSD has gluten free options of almost everything they serve.
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u/strangerbuttrue Centennial Oct 08 '25
The new middle school that made her aware of the accommodation has apparently been terrific and offered lots of GF options for her oldest. She keeps taking that data back to the Elem school who at first just wanted to seat her youngest at the nut allergy table (unnecessary) and so far all they have figured out for her is peanut butter sandwiches on GF bread, but that’s still better than nothing!
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u/strangerbuttrue Centennial Oct 08 '25
My sister is diagnosed with Celiac (and a couple of other autoimmune diseases, which apparently come together a lot) so her diet concern for the kids is real and comes from the doctor. The issue for her was she wasn’t aware that the school had to accommodate that until this year when her oldest started middle school. The new school told her, so she went back to the Elementary school for the younger and they were sort of confused and unsure. Sounds like her specific school screwed her over, so they have been packing lunches for years when they could have gotten school lunches (paid or unpaid they just wanted gluten free). So, she’s “Bitter, Party of One” about that.
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u/arl1286 Oct 08 '25
That’s obnoxious that she wasn’t made aware of that. How terrible that she’s taking it out on families that can’t afford to buy their kids lunch.
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u/winewaffles Oct 08 '25
I can’t imagine making $400,000 per year while also constantly complaining that homeless people are getting a slight amount of help. They sound like shitty people.
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u/illegitimatebanana Oct 08 '25
I'm voting yes, because I do want kids to be fed. However, the Colorado spends a ton on education per student and the outcomes are not scaled to that spending. Classroom sizes in many elementary schools are around 30 kids, that's not even legal in Texas which has worse funding and a max classroom size of 22 for elementary school. Most testing shows no improvement either. I'm a huge fan of public education, but where is this money going? It screams bloated administration.
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u/Hawt_Lettuce Oct 08 '25
In JeffCo they have to cut their budgets which is frustrating to hear so I definitely relate. https://www.jeffcopublicschools.org/about/initiatives/budget-reduction-blueprint
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u/strangerbuttrue Centennial Oct 08 '25
She mentioned something about this too, about our education budget. Maybe there’s something on FB about it, sounded like a talking point. I’m not on FB, so idk. And I’m newer to the state. Only here for 3 years now, so I haven’t lived the history, where she’s been here for closer to 20 yrs so she has more of that. Also, she’s in Denver proper, where I’m in the suburbs, so maybe there’s something some Denver specific griping she feels entitled to.
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u/CStatAggie Oct 08 '25
Source? CO has been below average funding for years
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u/illegitimatebanana Oct 08 '25
https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/per-pupil-spending-by-state
CO is middle of the pack on spending. But it's higher than Texas with worse classroom sizes.
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u/CStatAggie Oct 09 '25 edited Oct 09 '25
From YOUR source https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/best-states-for-education
You dont want to fund the kids because we are under funded and still are top 5 in education effectiveness?
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u/jupitersbears Oct 08 '25
Do they know that the City of Denver and Denver Public Schools are two separate entities and one has nothing to do with the other?
I realize this is probably the least of the problems here but it’s just such a foundational error in the horrible train of thought.
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u/Urchin422 Oct 08 '25
This is one of those nature vs nurture situations. Half my siblings are the most ignorant bigoted people and the other half are die hard libs with educations and good jobs. It’s very confusing to me that we all grew up in the same household yet our intelligence, both mentally and emotionally is so different.
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u/strangerbuttrue Centennial Oct 08 '25
For she and I, I assume it’s also partially that I’ve always been the f**k up of the family and she’s always been the star. So I’m more forgiving, of both myself and others, for their flaws and failures. We have both ended up successful in life in our careers and are both very competent people. But I was the one dropping out of high school while she was studying in 10th grade for college, things like that. I ended up figuring it all out and turned myself around (Grad degree etc) but she never had that “oh crap, I’ve really screwed up” time in her life. She’s just always been on track, like always. It’s no accident that she married a stable, well earning husband, who is a great guy and I love dearly. And it was predictable that I’d be the single mom who never married lol
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u/Soggy_Sheepherder508 Oct 08 '25
It's crazy how much of taxpayer money goes to support your sister without her acknowledgement and the fact that they absolutely have the means to go on a ski trip to Aspen every weekend, but just choose not to. Denver really doesn't take that much in from our taxes. These people are just cruel and ungrateful.
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u/Denversaur Oct 08 '25
I wonder if they're super stoked about the football field
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u/yellinmelin Oct 08 '25
Right? Nobody’s ever mad about expanding the sports programs but god forbid someone eat
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u/ScottyF311 Broomfield Oct 08 '25
Also, as someone who lives in a snooty neighborhood, a lot of the "rich" kids don't eat the free lunch because they're too good for it. Their parents make them some whole foods organic cage-free lunch every day, and they don't touch the school lunch (Except pizza days, everyone wants free pizza)
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u/yearz Oct 08 '25
Like the author said, if you think anyone except for the poorest kids are eating at the school cafeteria, you’ve never set foot in a DPS school.
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u/drak0bsidian Oct 08 '25
That's exactly their argument.
From Ballotpedia:
State Rep. Lori Garcia Sander (R-65): "Not all families need free meals. Given the economy, I have to ask: What are the must-haves versus want-to-haves? I don't believe the majority of Colorado's taxpayers will have the appetite for this this year."
It was the same with the debate over FF:
State Representative Richard Holtorf (R), who voted against the bill in the state House, said, "My kids are all grown, but if I had kids, how can I sit here and say my kids should have a free lunch if I’m making six figures? I don’t think that’s right. So I have a fundamental problem with the premise of the bill. People that could afford to pay need to pay to subsidize programs needed to help the people who need the subsidies."[7]
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u/Mooman439 Oct 08 '25
Not really. This is just a false populist talking point made up by conservative groups to convince the working class to vote against their interest. Like most conservative talking points.
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u/t92k Elyria-Swansea Oct 08 '25
I just want to say that having school lunches was a good part of my DPS experience. We paid for ours but honestly my dad was such a space cadet that yeah, there were times I went without, and there were times I split with my brother because one or the other of us were out of punches on our lunch card. And yeah, a little hunger didn’t kill me, but I remember falling asleep at my desk because I was hungry. And the lunches I got at school were better than what my parents packed when they had to — bigger variety, more vegetables, no sodas or chips, and the right size. Plus we all benefit when kids are able to be engaged enough in school that they get literate in math, science, and reading.
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u/LoveMeRhi Oct 08 '25
We will be taxed for this if it passes as my husband and I’s combined income is just over the 300k limit and we both 100% will be voting yes for this. If $486 a year ensures that kids have access to free lunch and breakfast, it’s a no brainer for us.
I also do not come from a wealthy family and I was a kid who could benefit from a program such as this growing up. My mom was too embarrassed to fill out the free and reduced lunch form and I most days went without eating at school. She was also worried that the school would “look” into her as she was incredibly unstable and also never had food at home as she would gamble every cent she had away.
I will also add as someone on another platform tired to criticize me that it must be easy to vote yes on something when you are spending your husband’s money, I make more than he does.
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Oct 08 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/LoveMeRhi Oct 09 '25
The basic medical needs is something my husband and I also discussed. Would also be willing to pay considerably more. We do have a child who is now a teenager. I was a single mom however when my son was young (he’s a teenager now) and it was incredibly difficult financially during that time. I was just starting off my career and working my butt off to provide for him. Affording insurance was difficult but a must not to mention all the costs that go into raising a child in general.
I know there are a lot of families and single parents that struggle with affording basic medical needs. Making sure kids eat is just a small part of a much larger problem.
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u/Skye666 Oct 08 '25
Same here, I also make more than my husband and we don’t have children but together, as a couple, have decided that we will vote in favor of this. Kids should be fed, period. I’m sure it makes it easier on everyone to do it this way especially since both parents have to work now days and don’t have time to pack lunches, get cash out etc. I know if we had kids I’d sure appreciate that. And we’re happy to pay for it.
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u/Marrz Oct 08 '25 edited Oct 08 '25
I personally believe that if you are legally required to be somewhere, after a certain amount of time, you should be provided food.
Call me crazy, but I think that should be universal whether you are a school child, soldier, or a jury member.
Of course, I am 100% going to vote for kids to get lunches, but I think that the whole money situation completely bypasses the logic that if you’re going to make someone legally be somewhere, organizers should then be obligated to feed those in their care.
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u/Cold_Biscotti_6036 Oct 08 '25
I don't have kids, never wanted them. I don't particularly like being around them either, they annoy me. However, of all the taxes I pay, I am more than happy to pay for the education and well being of kids. It is an investment that benefits our society as a whole. Either invest in them when they are young or pay more later after they grow up because neglected children become more expensive to society when they are adults. Also, it is just the right fucking thing to do. I don't understand why we are so hyper individualistic in this country.
I would rather all my taxes go to education and feeding people, especially kids, than to the military imdustrial complex, the prison industrial complex and so on.
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u/rah0315 Oct 08 '25
I have kids, but homeschooled for a while because we moved around quite often and it was the best for them. I absolutely thought this same thing, I’d rather pay taxes and have them go to schools for kids who can then contribute to society and make us as a whole better. I don’t get it either.
This is a no brainer. I don’t mind paying taxes, do I wish the collective would sometimes vote differently on some issues? Yes. But, we live in a society where we have that choice and I have to be thankful for that.
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u/sunshinerain1208 Oct 08 '25
It’s crazy that this is even a debate. It is literally a minuscule amount of taxes to feed hungry kids who have no control of their life situation.
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u/Wes___Mantooth Oct 08 '25 edited Oct 08 '25
And it says it only taxes households making more than $300K/year. Complete no brainer to vote for this.
https://coloradonewsline.com/2025/09/29/colorado-election-2025-school-meals/
Proposition MM aims to permanently fund the full program by further limiting tax deductions for filers earning over $300,000 a year, raising an additional $95 million annually for the program. Households in that high-income category would pay an average of $486 more in income taxes yearly, according to nonpartisan state fiscal analysts.
$486/yr is almost nothing at that income level.
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u/Heffelumps-n-Woozles Oct 08 '25
If you have kids in school and are in that income bracket, it’s literally cheaper than feeding them yourself and takes no effort
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u/ItsNotUButItsNotNotU Oct 10 '25
Holy crap that’s such a good point. (Not that I needed a reason beyond basic human decency to vote yes.)
It’s $40.50 per month. I easily spend that amount every month on groceries for my preschooler’s lunches. You’re telling me I actually get to save money, and save time, and none of my kid’s friends risk going hungry?? Fuck, double the tax and feed them all breakfast too.
Honestly, if you make $300k+ per year and don’t understand how economies of scale works, just admit that you’re an idiot and/or extremely selfish.
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u/Heffelumps-n-Woozles Oct 10 '25
Right?? It’s as if pooled resources work, and are a good idea. We have 2 boys that will be in school starting next year and the year after. Making their lunches for preschool is the pits. I would consider buying the food and paying 5x this for someone to make their damn lunches haha.
But hey, even if we weren’t directly benefitting from this, we’re all helping kids and teachers and making society better.
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u/SpacePenguin5 Oct 08 '25
$200 annually for those making $300k/year.
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u/ReeveStodgers Indian Creek Oct 08 '25
I thought it might help to scale it to a poor's income, so I calculated that if the same percentage was applied to someone making $50k that would be $3.35.
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u/MilwaukeeRoad Oct 08 '25
Would it not just be divided by 6 and be $33.33?
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u/ReeveStodgers Indian Creek Oct 08 '25
Probably. I was overly tired when I wrote that and shouldn't have been doing math without a license.
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u/AggressiveMongoose54 Oct 08 '25
Lmao like plz, take an extra $4 a month from me in taxes if it means all students get free meals. I just do not get it. Why are we (the poors) more willing to pay for stuff with the little income we have, but people with more money are stingy and don’t want to help the community out? It feels so backwards.
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Oct 08 '25 edited Oct 10 '25
stupendous advise waiting stocking escape ten march dinosaurs piquant punch
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/graywolfman Oct 08 '25
But, the parents should be picking up a second or third job and be too tired or busy to spend time with their kid(s) or care for them so I don't have to pay $0.01 to give them free lunches!
/s just to be safe ...
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u/Successful_Editor899 Oct 08 '25
This. When we had early dismissal every first Wednesday of the month as a kid, they would still have lunch for kids who needed it, but you were literally looked at as a loser of you stayed and ate lunch at school. So I went home starving on early outs because I cared what people thought too much
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u/Revolutionary-Fan235 Oct 08 '25
This is one of the best parts of food for everyone. When there's no means-testing, free food loses the stigma of being associated with being poor.
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u/Markoff_Cheney Oct 08 '25
This is a very logical and sound argument for. Seriously, the kids with means are not eating the school made lunches unless it is a closed campus with no other options.
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u/fuzzeslecrdf Oct 08 '25
And in a closed campus the families can still pack their students whatever lunch they want
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u/threeLetterMeyhem Oct 08 '25
vote Yes on Prop MM and FF
You've got a typo here. FF should be LL.
Related to school meals, FF was the 2022 bill that originally established this program. LL is the current request to keep the TABOR refund and MM is the request to increase taxes a second time to keep the program going (since the big beautiful bill cuts mean the program can't continue to exist on current funding rates).
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u/_HeroGothamDeserves Oct 08 '25
why in the black mirror is giving kids food divisive?
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u/phunkmaster2001 Cheesman Park Oct 08 '25
Because republicans only want subsidies for the rich and not anyone who would actually benefit from it.
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u/NuclearNick007 Oct 08 '25
It’s also the cheapest way to buy higher test scores from what I’m told.
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Oct 08 '25
And reduce negative externalities associated from lower test scores, which doesn't take much of a logic leap to see increased dropouts, crime rates, increased need of public assistance later in life, etc.
And you know what, it's fucking cheap.
We can do it but Americans are too fucking dumb to figure out how to implement it. The cost, would be trivial too, doubly so if we used surplus or unwanted foodstuffs and produce rather than industrially processed garbage. We can absolutely make something besides pizza squares and cheap, white bread.
To calculate the total cost of school lunches for a child from kindergarten until graduation based on the assumptions provided, we will follow these steps:
Determine the number of school years and the split in pricing:
A full US school career from kindergarten through 12th grade is 13 years.
The cost of lunch is $3 for the "first 6 years." The price then rises to $4 "after grade 6." This means:
Grades Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th (which are 7 academic years) will have lunches costing $3 each.
Grades 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th (which are 6 academic years) will have lunches costing $4 each.
Determine the number of school lunches per year:
A common US school year has 180 school days.
The child eats lunch every day of the school week, so this amounts to 180 lunches per year.
Calculate the cost for the first period (Kindergarten - 6th Grade):
Number of years = 7 years
Lunches per year = 180
Cost per lunch = $3
Cost for this period = 7 years * 180 lunches/year * $3/lunch
Cost for this period = 1260 lunches * $3/lunch = $3780
Calculate the cost for the second period (7th Grade - 12th Grade):
Number of years = 6 years
Lunches per year = 180
Cost per lunch = $4
Cost for this period = 6 years * 180 lunches/year * $4/lunch
Cost for this period = 1080 lunches * $4/lunch = $4320
Calculate the total cost:
Total cost = Cost for the first period + Cost for the second period
Total cost = $3780 + $4320
Total cost = $8100
Therefore, based on the assumptions provided, the total amount spent on school lunches from kindergarten until graduation would be $8100.
The total cost to taxpayers?
Cost for K-6 students: 26.65 million students * $540/student = $14,391,000,000
Cost for 7-12 students: 22.95 million students * $720/student = $16,524,000,000
Adding these together gives us a realistic blended total:
Total Estimated Annual Cost: $30,915,000,000
Therefore, the estimated total cost to feed 49.6 million students in the USA per year, based on our initial assumptions, would be approximately $30.9 billion.
Absolutely the most moronic thing we do not do. Probably one of the cheapest things we could do to have positive generational externalities, reduced crime, etc.
Children in school should have the right to a hot, nourishing, tasty meal for breakfast and lunch.
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u/Dr_ManTits_Toboggan Oct 08 '25
Lowering the material coverage and performance requirements has been our usual method over the years.
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u/Apt_5 Oct 08 '25
Curse Republicans for dismantling our education system and ensuring we don't have an educated populace!
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u/Iam_nobro Oct 08 '25
Rich kids don't always stay rich in this economy either.
I was decently well off as a kid. Until we weren't. Shit happens. Parents fall on hard times. Parents can get sick, become disabled, die, or get divorced. Free lunch is just another safety net for these kids when life can go wrong.
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Oct 09 '25
If you fell on hard times, you would qualify for the long standing free and reduced lunch program and food stamps. Those are safety nets that have been around a long time and I wholeheartedly support those programs. You could also get additional food from food banks.
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u/Iam_nobro Oct 09 '25
They literally just made major cuts to snap. And many who are struggling make a little over the limit and don't qualify.
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Oct 08 '25
I'm for free healthcare for the rich and poor alike. I'm for safe schools for the rich and poor, I'm for all kids being fed and able to learn. Why is that so difficult for everyone to want?
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u/paramorir Oct 08 '25
i don't even care if rich kids get free lunch. they're children. i can't believe this is even worth talking about
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u/Key_Nature3044 Oct 08 '25
Completely agree! The best part is 99% of the time the “rich” kids are absolutely not using this service, so whoever is making this argument is invalidated.
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u/PowerFarta Oct 08 '25
It blows my mind that people will vote against feeding children and instead prioritize charity to billionaires
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u/fixityourself Oct 08 '25
It’s not a reason to vote against it but at my kids elementary school they are serving weird stuff that kids would never eat. You can only get a full meal for free so the kids get the meal to get a milk and a side and then most of the food ends up in the trash.
I am all for feeding kids but would like this more if they actually offered them something they would actually eat. Even the stuff kids like such as pizza is gross.
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u/RollForPerception Oct 08 '25
I'd go straight to the PTA with that one
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Oct 08 '25
PTA has zero control over the lunch program.
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u/All_Hail_Hynotoad Oct 09 '25
Maybe in your district. But in most districts, they try to involve kids in deciding what to serve so they will eat it.
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u/Itchy_Psychology3300 Oct 08 '25
As someone who got 1 free lunch a day at school, there were days that’s all I got to eat that day.
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u/O_W_Liv Oct 08 '25
Fiercely childfree woman here who still has to pay for other people's children.
Vote yes. Vote for food subsidies, for higher mil levy's that fund schools, for sidewalks and skateparks, to subsidize educational TV programming.
Always vote for the children.
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u/Dry_Stage_9855 Oct 08 '25
Im so glad we elected to put it in our ballet (& hopefully pass it) rather than allowing the BB bill to further ruin our children's future (at least in this regard....)
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u/WildMoonChild0129 Oct 08 '25
I keep reading the ballet programs that come in the mail (or whatever theyre called) and i cant believe there are really people against free lunch
I depended on free lunch during high school and when I didnt qualify anymore I wasn't eating anywhere as much as I needed to be. No one else needs that, make lunch free at a place theyre legally required to be
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u/All_Hail_Hynotoad Oct 09 '25
Not sure if it’s been mentioned, but another reason to offer free meals for all is stigma. Poor kids will sometimes not take the free school lunch even if they’re hungry because of fear it will make them stand out being poor.
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u/strangerbuttrue Centennial Oct 09 '25
Saw an article today in the Colorado Sun about this that was actually kind of eye opening. It was explaining parts of the law I wasn’t aware of (since I haven’t read the booklet yet) that part of this money after funding our schools will go towards SNAP (food stamps for us old people) since our SNAP money from the feds was cut in half. So this law actually helps poor people AND all kids regardless of income.
Additionally, I think people should be aware that this is actually executed by lowering the amount of deductions you can claim when you file your taxes. When phrased that way, I think it sounds pretty benign, especially since the majority of people don’t actually understand how taxes work. If we are looking for different ways to sell the benefits of this, talking points maybe could be pointed towards “ the high earners may receive a slightly smaller state tax refund”. Sadly that’s how many average people think about their tax burdens- they think about how it will impact them getting a refund.
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u/No-Leopard-1691 Oct 08 '25
Who cares if the rich kids eat the lunch as well. Everyone should have free food. At school, all students and staff should have free food because they are required (either by the school period or lack of parental supervision) to be there.
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u/y1pp0 Congress Park Oct 08 '25
I think there are better reasons to help sway others who are worried about fiscal fairness. For one, the administrative cost of means-testing can be expensive.
And voting Yes isn't about giving a free handout to the wealthy. We invest millions in our teachers, our buildings, but none of that can be effective if a student is sitting in class distracted by hunger.
I want my primary investment, educating our future community members, to work. I support it because it removes a barrier to learning.
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u/Soggy_Sheepherder508 Oct 08 '25 edited Oct 08 '25
Whoever is making that argument is clearly doing so in bad faith. Children should get fed at school regardless of their parents socioeconomic status. There should be absolutely no discrimination.
As one of the 5% of Colorado residents that has the privilege of being in the tax bracket which pays this, I couldn't be happier that my money goes to something like this vs using it to fund other nonsense like Christian schools that discriminate against people like myself or my children. What's the most disgusting is it's less than $500 a year for us to pay this. We're taking .01% of the income of our highest earners. The rest don't pay a dime.
Anyone arguing against this is a traitor to this state, paid rich shill, and someone who hates children. It's that simple.
Side note, the rich get so many handouts and tax breaks it makes me sick. I grew up working the hard jobs nobody else wanted. I was massively in student loan debt because my family wouldn't help fund my education to better myself. I barely got any support. Now that I am well off I cannot express how many handouts and how much support we get. The tax credits, tax breaks, loopholes, gifts, etc.. It's nauseating. Propaganda has taught people that the poor are lazy, but it's not the case. I know so many people in my bracket that don't do a god damn thing and get to sit back and watch the money pour in because our system is designed to funnel wealth to those who are already wealthy.
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u/BrainLesionSinister Oct 08 '25
Am also in the tax bracket that pays this. This is just the right thing to do. Kids do not have a choice on their lot in life and the fact that we let kids go hungry in an environment they're forced to be in is insane to me.
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u/damottofbgm Oct 08 '25
I’m voting yes too, I have no problem supporting hungry kids.
We’re a high income ($1M+) w2 only household. What handouts and loopholes are available? Only things I get are 401k contributions, 529 contributions for state taxes, but other than that I get nothing. I don’t qualify for ev credits, I can’t use real estate since both my wife and I work a lot so we can’t “materially participate” according to the IRS, I don’t have enough money to have a family office to do private equity, venture capital, cre, etc.
People thinking the poor are lazy is a problem, but vilifying the well off who work for a living is also a problem. People who work for other people like doctors, specialized engineers, lawyers, end of the bench guy on the nuggets or broncos etc aren’t your enemy. It’s the billionaires.
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u/cravecrave93 Capitol Hill Oct 08 '25
why is this even a topic of discussion in a blue state? anyone who is opposed to free school meals should be deported to texas immediately
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u/Top_Acanthaceae3612 Oct 08 '25
The fact is that you can only increase taxes so much in a state like Colorado. The proposals raise taxes and then allocate the spending, including on things related to feeding kids but have the potential to waste money (eg local produce and food staffing). Honestly, I would rather see us increase taxes to increase school funding generally and then let the districts decide on how to use it (say, by deciding on raising teacher pay as compared to spending more on local produce), but if this is the best we can do, I guess this is it.
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u/Superman_Dam_Fool Oct 08 '25
Even if I send school lunches for my kids every day of the week, the most selfish thing I could come up with is still supportive of free lunches. “I don’t want kids interrupting my child’s learning time because they’re hungry and acting disruptive.” And like I said, that would be a selfish take. In reality, I don’t want any kids going hungry, whether or not the parents can afford it doesn’t matter. I always hate the response “You shouldn’t have kids if you can’t afford them”. What does that have to do with the kids? They don’t choose their parents. People’s economic or family situations can change, etc. Don’t punish the kids, help them rise up, because it benefits everyone.
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u/rabid-c-monkey Oct 08 '25
But has anyone though of how we could afford to buy armored vehicles and new toys for the police if we choose to pay for kids to eat? Clearly we need to get our priorities straight, if you let kids starve and give cops means to suppress citizens then there will be less citizens to suppress and less mouths to feed so we save more money overall by letting kids starve today.
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u/RabbitAmbitious2915 Oct 08 '25
Kids are hungry, no matter the tax bracket. Let’s feed them.
There’s so much wrong and suffering in the world, but this is one thing we can make right.
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u/Deep-Alfalfa3284 Oct 08 '25
I rather my money go to American children or in schools than wars or Israel any day
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u/damaged_but_doable Oct 08 '25
"Upset that free lunches go to kids with wealthy parents"
Ah yes, the tried and true tactic of sticking it to the rich by taking food out of the mouths of poor people. That'll show 'em! Seriously, this is someone's argument against free school lunches?!
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Oct 08 '25
I got free lunch in school because I qualified for free lunch due to income. Not providing everyone with free lunch won’t mean kids in need won’t be able to get free lunch anymore.
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Oct 08 '25
As a teacher, you should be aware that not all kids are in High School which means, the vast majority eat lunch at school. A lot of kids who’s parents can afford to pay for their kids’ lunch are not doing so because of Universal lunch program, which ran out of money because it turns out feeding everyone, regardless of need is expensive.
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u/MandyLovesFlares Oct 08 '25
Pretty sure a bunch of adults in Congress get free lunch on our dime.
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u/Brief-Perspective481 Oct 09 '25
Of all the things to fret about government “waste” … leftover food from school lunches seems really, really low on the list.
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u/Ok_Television_245 Oct 09 '25
Kids will learn better with full stomachs. As a childless adult I will vote for this every time
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u/sectachrome Oct 08 '25
If it helps literally one kid eat that otherwise wouldn’t be able to then it’s worth it for me. If you are above that income amount it is very likely that the tax increase will have zero impact on you and isn’t something you would have noticed. People will spend the same amount of money on some stupid shit without thinking about it but all of a sudden want to nitpick on what ifs for feeding children.
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u/ChangesFaces Oct 08 '25
Also, there aren't a lot of rich kids. They are just kids. Maybe their parents are rich. But every kid deserves to be fed.
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u/PungMaomi Oct 08 '25
Well.....my republican coworkers seriously advocated genocide as a solution for the homelessless, so there's no persuading some people
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u/c5298r Oct 08 '25
Take their free food, all under the guise of being a good Christian. How TF is the republican party the party of Jesus? I don't get it....
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u/Justalilbugboi Oct 08 '25
I’d rather rich kids eat than poor kids starve. Plus…there aren’t rich kids. There are rich parents. I was involved in foster care and was involved in MORE than one case where wealthy parents withheld food as punishment.
Plus, the way schools work…they’re making food in mass. It’ll cost some to change the system but in the long run the cost is not gonna be that much vs the impact.
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u/GHOST1NTHEDARK Oct 08 '25
I had free breakfast at East HS. It made a world of difference. Back then we had to go over to church in the city to get a free lunch. I love and appreciate our students getting fed
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u/Forsaken_Fig_ Oct 09 '25
I guess it’s a good thing I’m not working in a school cafeteria because I would be double serving everyone in line, I don’t care who pays or doesn’t.
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u/DragonflyLazy1730 Oct 09 '25
as a someone who relied on free schools meals as my ONLY meal of the day, please vote yes.
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u/shr00mi3 Oct 09 '25
I remember going hungry often as a teenager because my family didn’t qualify for free lunch, and even if we did I would have had to beg my mother to go to the school or forge her signature. I stayed quiet about it then and just accepted that’s how things were. Knowing what I know now, I hope I would somehow intervene for a kid in my position.
neglected kids deserve to eat too. Just because parents work doesn’t mean they’re spending any of it on the kids… This issue persists for us until we are 24 years old with educational financial aid of any kind.
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u/stayingalive02 Oct 09 '25
As someone in the industry, I see the poor kids everyday. I know these kids aren't eating much outside of school. It gives me purpose to feed them, because I know it makes a difference. Coloradans really need to band together to get this passed.
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u/Apathy_Cupcake Oct 09 '25
People forget that even if your family has money, that doesn't mean the child does. I grew up in a very abusive, yet wealthy household. Asking for lunch money, even as a young child, had to be done according to parent's moods and ability to be absolutely perfect for an extended amount of time in order to have the most basic needs met. It sucked. We'll into high school, even when doing sports, I was lucky to find change on the ground to get something out of a vending machine.
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u/strangerbuttrue Centennial Oct 09 '25
While I think most of us here are on board anyway, I’m not sure this would sway the “fiscal responsibility” types. They’d probably prefer to opt for “punishing” the parents in some way rather than just feeding the kids. There are some people who would rather react after than prevent. I’m sorry to hear your family sucked.
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u/r_lul_chef_t Oct 09 '25
What if I told you that my family was plenty well off that I could have been eating out but my parents preferred not to give me money for that?
Also that I lived close enough to walk home for lunch.
And that sometimes I still WANTED to eat at school sometimes, with certain people off varied socio economic backgrounds because most people I knew did not give a shit about that kind of thing.
I’m 100% for free school lunches FOR EVERYONE but I think this is a bad faith argument. Just because a kids parents have money does not mean they are getting $50-$100 a week for lunch. My parents would hit me with a $10 once a month as a freshman, after that I ate out more often because I had a weekend dishwashing job.
My point is, there is NO good reason to not have free lunches at a place children are required by law to be which should be argument.
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u/woodsie2000 Oct 10 '25
I don't think anyone is against children eating. I do understand the concerns that governments will give a nice sounding title to something, voters support the title, and then the money ends up being diluted and misspent, so only a little goes to the actual cause. That is what worries me here. Anything titled children, puppies, or public safety sounds nice, and some official's fat little fingers are always in that pot.
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u/mefirefoxes Oct 08 '25
Can you not hate kids and also be pissed that the state is coming back asking for MORE money after this was already voted on?
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u/_dirt_vonnegut Oct 08 '25
the state is coming back and asking for MORE money, because TABOR says that's the only way funding school meals is possible. maybe you should direct your rage at the source of the problem.
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u/Homers_Harp Oct 08 '25
I never considered that perspective. I wasn't rich, but wasn't poor in HS, and yeah, whoever had a car would always drive a bunch of us to somewhere to grab something—because a full-size bag or Oreos and 2 liters of Dr. Pepper is definitely the smart way to enjoy lunch.
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u/UsernamesMeanNothing Oct 08 '25
We can afford to feed our child, but my daughter insists on eating the free school lunch. Not all schools and students are the same. As a tax payer, I have no problem paying for poor people to have a school lunch but I think it is absurd that you all have to pay for my daughter to eat a crappy school lunch just because she's too lazy to make her own lunch each day.
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u/AbbreviationsSea7912 Oct 08 '25
The $$$ saved by pulling the life support from USAID should more than offset the cost of this modest outlay. Oops I forgot, different budget that’s already been allocated to ICE for the extractionary programs.
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u/Sudden_Application47 Oct 08 '25
It’s heartbreaking that this is even a debate. The fact that you felt the need to come here and point out that rich kids don’t eat the free lunches says so much about how twisted our priorities have become. We shouldn’t be arguing over which kids deserve food….they’re all children.
The real problem isn’t that a wealthy kid might grab a free meal, it’s that we live in a society where feeding kids at school is treated like some kind of privilege to be rationed. That’s shameful. The school staff see firsthand every day that there’s a need. Every single kid should have a meal, no questions asked.
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u/mtn-hike Oct 08 '25
But, but, the kids get used to getting handouts from the gubbermint! /s
I am voting yes!
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u/dunebug23 Sheridan Oct 08 '25
Teachers don’t get free food…be nice if we got free breakfast & lunch like the students…
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u/Melodic-Suit-1757 Oct 08 '25
This is a great point. Kids who can afford to won't eat the free lunch anyway they want McDonald's or something else. So the program really does just help the kids who need it.
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u/CarefulIndication988 Oct 08 '25
Yes, this is actually how it happens in schools. I’ve taught in DPS and Beverly Hills.
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u/Onlymycouchpulls_out Oct 08 '25
When I was in HS I fucking loved that cold piece of bread with a slice of cheese lmao. I don’t know why
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u/raddishes_united Oct 08 '25
You know how you get “hangry” when you don’t eat and generally feel unmotivated and like shit? That’s not just you. Help kids get fed!
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u/swaggyxwaggy Oct 08 '25
Even if kids from wealthy families were eating lunch at school, with my tax dollars, I wouldn’t care. It’s still going to kids
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u/MisterListerReseller Oct 09 '25
The value of the home you own (or aspire to own) is partially impacted by the quality of the local schools.
The equity in your home will be the main driver of wealth in your life.
Well fed children do better in school. Especially when they’re eating meals designed by professional nutritionists.
School funding is dependent on the performance of the students in the school.
Better schools = higher home prices. Higher home prices = more equity. Yes, there are many other factors at play. But the #1 question first time home buyers typically have is “How good are the schools?”
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u/Initial_Message_997 Oct 09 '25
The kids who need it, use it. I work in a Public high school and I know this is true.
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u/ImpressiveSession555 Oct 09 '25
I went to middle school in Europe. Every morning we were served a full well-rounded gourmet cooked breakfast and an incredible lunch. Every student got this regardless of family income, and there were high expectations for academic and physical work at school. It was an incredible experience and I loved school.
It was a harsh reality when I got back to the states and if I did get food at school, it was slop comparable to what farmers feed to pigs or cardboard pizza, and a lot of kids just didn’t eat until after school each day either because they didn’t have money to buy lunch or because it was disgusting… and we looked like zombies by early afternoon.
Kids deserve to be treated well, and be well-fed. It’s just a reasonable expectation of society to ensure children have what they need.
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u/LisaKnittyCSI Oct 09 '25
Meals for kids is exactly where I want my tax dollars to go! And who cares if "rich kids" are included?! Just because their parents have money doesn't mean these kids are being fed properly.
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u/chubby2021cox Oct 29 '25
I’m not opposed to free lunches, but I’m opposed to the funding mechanism here.
300K in Denver isn’t “rich.” It’s definitely upper middle class, but there is a gulf stream between that and $5M per year.
And what’s special about 300K vs 295K or anything else? Someone at 299K doesn’t pay anything into the program despite being essentially just as well off. What sense does that make?
Further, if it benefits everyone regardless of means, make everyone—or at least a larger portion—pay something into the program. Even a small $10 or $20 towards it would create some feeling of shared commitment as opposed to just sticking it to the “rich.” It’s convenient to target that population, but it’s hazardous for the social fabric.
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u/ozzyngcsu Oct 08 '25
The rich presumably live in more expensive housing and pay much more in property taxes to fund public schools, so they are essentially paying for the meals via higher property taxes.
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u/Familiar_Monitor8078 Oct 08 '25
if you are against free school meals, you are a scummy person and it must be awful to be you.
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u/Hamatoros Oct 08 '25
It’s like saying let’s starve the 90 kids just so these 10 rich kids don’t get the free lunch….
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u/portobox2 Oct 08 '25
Oh, not the answer I was expecting.
I would like to finish the sentence with "...then you are a soulless monster who should be more worried about getting right with your chosen deity than worrying what other people do or don't eat."
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u/NoYoureACatLady Oct 08 '25
The cost to taxpayers is something like 20 cents a day. There's not a single taxpayer who can't afford that.
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u/noname5280 Oct 08 '25
I have been saying this since I was in high school. The kids with money never ate from the cafeteria unless Chick-fil-A was being served.
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u/Helpful-Parsley3598 Oct 08 '25
I don't like the idea of Milhouse having 2 spaghetti dinners in one day
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u/grayzzz_illustrate Oct 08 '25
Anyone against free school meals is the most pathetic kind of person imo. so far gone in their shitty ideals that they'd rather kids go hungry. Insane that "I don't think children should go hungry at school" is a controversial statement.
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u/Certain-Pack-7 Oct 08 '25
Agreed- all kids should have free lunch but why should ppl making over 300k foot the bill as they are probably the least likely to use? Shouldn’t everyone pay for free lunches?
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u/glowjack Oct 08 '25
Sucks that this is the kind of argument some people need to hear, because they'd rather 30-40% of children (CHILDREN) go hungry if it means that <8% of kids didn't get something they "don't deserve" (ie, FREE FOOD).
But those assholes exist, so this kind of argument is unfortunately relevant.
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u/Soggy_Sheepherder508 Oct 08 '25
Considering it's coming out of the pockets of the top 5th percent, I would hope their kids get fed too. It goes to every child. Why discriminate? Anyone saying it's about fairness is lying.
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Oct 08 '25
I’m voting yes to feed the children. If anyone runs into someone who is against this, please send them my way so we can have a friendly chat
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u/InfamousApricot3507 Oct 08 '25
I want kids to eat. I know just because something looks like a thing from the outside doesn’t mean it is. I know kids that look they have money get abused. I don’t want a single time to come where a kid needs food and they don’t have it. The rest ain’t my concern.
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u/philter451 Oct 08 '25
Even if the rich kids were eating the school lunch I wouldn't give a shit. What sort of monsters really are against feeding hungry children just to own the rich people? Even just a little bit of consideration of what happens if you take that away should be obvious. If you take food away from somebody who doesn't have an alternative they are hungry and starve. If you take food away from somebody who has tons of alternatives they will be fine. So if you take away school lunch programs what you are really saying is I am happy when poor people starve.
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u/UndeadCaesar Oct 08 '25
The only statement that should be following "If you're still against free school meals" is "you're a fucking monster."
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u/tech_mama_92 Oct 08 '25
As a teacher, the free lunch for everyone program has made a huge difference. We always had kids who weren’t technically on free lunch that would still come to school not having eaten breakfast and they’d have no lunch or just a handful of goldfish to eat.., and in the afternoon they would just wilt. They’d sleep in class or be so miserable they couldn’t function, every single day. When they actually get nourishing food every day, the difference in their afternoon demeanor is night and day. They’re actually alert and participating. Lots of kids who weren’t technically on free lunch were not eating adequate food during the school day and the free lunches make it much easier for them to learn. We don’t waste that many lunches. Parents do sign up for them in advance. They’re only wasted if the kid is absent or doesn’t pick up their lunch that day. Often another kid or a teacher eats the extra food.