Voters May Decide Free School Meals, Petition Moves Forward

Organizers of a statewide effort to guarantee free school meals cleared an early administrative hurdle and are preparing a signature drive that could affect families across Stutsman County. On December 6 the Together for School Meals Coalition, represented locally by Jessica Edland and Prairie Action Institute’s Amy Jacobson, said the North Dakota Secretary of State approved the petition form and that the state Attorney General's office had until December 8 to respond to the proposed language. If the language is approved the group would need to collect 31,164 signatures to place a constitutional amendment on the 2026 general election ballot.

The proposed amendment would require state funding to cover students who are not already eligible for free meals through federal programs. Organizers estimate families could save nearly $1,000 per student per year if the amendment passes, and they argue the change would level the educational playing field by removing cost barriers that can affect attendance and concentration. The petition route follows a failed legislative attempt. House Bill 1475 was considered in the 2025 session but did not pass the full House, prompting advocates to pursue a ballot initiative instead.

For Stutsman County school districts the amendment would alter how meal programs are funded and how families are billed. School lunch and breakfast programs would no longer require payments from families for students who fall outside federal free meal eligibility, which could reduce administrative burdens for district nutrition offices and lower household food expenses. The statewide signature threshold means organizers must mount a broad outreach effort across rural and urban communities, and local volunteers are likely to be needed to reach the required total.

Economic and policy implications include increased demands on state budgets to finance universal meals, an issue that will be debated if the measure reaches voters. State policymakers and county leaders will need to weigh the projected savings for families against the fiscal cost and implementation logistics for school districts. The next concrete step is the Attorney General's determination of the petition language and, if approved, a statewide signature drive ahead of the 2026 ballot.