Governor Scott’s proposed repeal of Vermont’s Universal School Meals Program would cost Vermont kids, families, schools, and farmers.
Take action today: Tell the Governor to keep his commitment to Universal School Meals.
What You Can Do:
1. Call Governor Scott
Say your name and town
Tell him: DO NOT REPEAL Universal School Meals
👉 If the line is busy or voicemail is full, submit a message through his contact form:
Governor’s Office Contact Form
Instructions:
Fill in your name, address, email, and phone number
Under "Message Subject," select “EDUCATION”
In the message box, write:
DO NOT REPEAL Universal School Meals.
Add 1-2 sentences (it’s a small box!) about why YOU support universal school meals.
2. Call the Agency of Education
Leave a message for Acting Secretary Zoie Saunders
Say your name and town
Tell her: PROTECT Universal School Meals
👉 If the line is busy or voicemail is full, send an email instead:
✉️ aoe.edinfo@vermont.gov
Template:
Subject: PROTECT Universal School Meals
Email Body:
Dear Secretary Saunders,
I am writing to urge you to PROTECT Universal School Meals. There is no way to “means test” students and still have a universal program. Please use your position as Secretary of Education to ensure that students have the food they need every school day. Do not support a repeal of the Universal School Meals program.
[Add a personal reason why you support Universal School Meals.]
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Town]
When Vermont passed its Universal School Meals program in 2023 with strong support from all political parties, the state made a simple but powerful commitment: no child should have to go hungry at school.
Since the program launched, Vermont schools have served 1.4 million more breakfasts and 1.1 million more lunches a year than before the pandemic. Universal School Meals doesn’t only ensure kids have the nutrition they need during the school day - it makes sure students can focus on learning, it gives families a break from yet another rising cost, and it strengthens Vermont’s food system by keeping school kitchens stocked with ingredients sourced from local farmers and producers.
Now, that progress is at risk. Governor Phil Scott has proposed repealing Act 64, eliminating the Universal School meals program and putting the burden back on families and schools. If this happens, Vermont kids would miss out on 2.5 million meals each year. For 27,000 students in middle-income families already struggling to meet their basic needs, this would mean an additional $1,500 in annual school meal expenses—or the burden and added expense of packing their own lunches. Schools and farms would lose millions in federal funding, and meal debt would make a comeback, forcing school administrators to play the role of bill collectors instead of educators.
And it’s not just meals during the school day that are at stake. One of the hidden benefits of Universal School Meals has been its impact on summer food and after school programs. As a result of the way Act 64 was written, more Vermont communities now qualify for fully reimbursed summer and afterschool meals, ensuring kids stay nourished even when school is out. In 2024 alone, Vermont served a record-breaking 1 million summer meals. But if Act 64 is repealed, dozens of communities will lose eligibility, and thousands of kids would miss out on summer meals, experiencing summer hunger and the documented months of learning loss that accompany it.
The bottom line? Universal School Meals work. They cost less than 1% of Vermont’s education fund but deliver massive benefits—to students, families, schools, farms, and local economies. Undoing that progress would be a step backward, and Vermont’s leaders should think carefully before taking meals off the table for thousands of kids and stepping back on the commitment they made that no kid in Vermont would ever again have to learn what hunger feels like in one of our public schools.
This is a critical moment. If we take action together, we can ensure that Vermont puts kids first and keeps Universal School Meals in place.
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