FARGO, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Following Friday’s vote in the North Dakota Legislature to defeat legislation that would have provided universal school meals, Together for School Meals reaffirmed its commitment to advancing a citizen-led ballot measure to ensure every K-12 student in the state has access to school meals at no cost to families.
“For many years, families, educators, and community members have been calling for free school meals for North Dakota’s kids. And, together we can make it a reality in North Dakota through the Together for School Meals citizen-led ballot initiative,” said Robin Nelson, Chair of the Sponsoring Committee. “Providing school meals at no cost is one of the most effective, research-backed ways to strengthen academic performance, reduce stress on families, and give every child a fair shot. That’s why I’m committed to helping move this forward because feeding kids isn’t just good policy, it’s the right thing to do for their future.”
Amy Jacobson, spokesperson for Together for School Meals, said: “The Legislature may have said no again today, but throughout this debate, one thing was unmistakable: the people of North Dakota made it clear they support free school meals. Legislators said it themselves, repeatedly. This issue moved as far as it did because people organized and refused to be ignored. That public support isn’t going away, and we’re going to honor it by taking this directly to the voters.”
The coalition is currently working to collect the 31,164 signatures required to place the measure on the November 2026 ballot, giving North Dakotans the opportunity to decide this issue directly.
The measure would amend Article VIII of the North Dakota Constitution to guarantee every student access to one breakfast and one lunch every school day, at no cost to students or their families. Universal school meals is overwhelmingly popular, with continued public polling showing nearly 80% of North Dakotans support providing free school meals for all children. That support has strong backing across party lines, income levels, and regions. Feeding students is recognized as a commonsense, unifying investment in children, families, and the state’s future.
The coalition encourages North Dakotans who want to make a difference to get involved. Sign up to volunteer, stay informed, and support the campaign at www.togetherforschoolmeals.org