Agudath Israel of America’s Connecticut office announced today that nonpublic school students will now receive free breakfast and state coverage of reduced-price lunch costs.
Following passage of the state budget, it was initially understood that nonpublic school students would be excluded from participating in the state’s free meal program. Agudath Israel’s Connecticut office, in partnership with the CT Catholic Conference, advocated for the Connecticut Department of Education to interpret the bill’s language to ensure that nonpublic school students would have access to the same free breakfast benefits and state-funded reduced-price lunch support available to their public-school peers.
Ultimately, the Department of Education agreed with Agudath Israel and the CT Catholic Conference’s interpretation of the bill’s language. As a result, nonpublic school students will now be eligible for these much-needed funds.
“We are grateful for the Department of Education working with us to ensure that all students, regardless of what type of school they attend, will have access to these basic nutrition supports,” said Ari Weisenfeld, director of Agudath Israel’s Connecticut office.