MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WBMA) — Alabama education leaders want to double state funding for school breakfast programs, saying the additional money could close the funding gap preventing some schools from offering breakfast to students.
The Alabama State Department of Education plans to request $14 million for school breakfast programs as part of its fiscal year 2028 education budget proposal, up from $7 million in the current budget.
State Superintendent Eric Mackey discussed the proposal during Thursday’s Alabama State Board of Education work session.
“We’re asking that it be double to 14,” Mackey said.
Mackey said the department also wants lawmakers to move the funding from the state’s supplemental education budget into its regular education budget.
“And that would cover the gap for all schools to be able to offer the breakfast program,” Mackey said.
What would change for families?
For parents, an important distinction remains: Mackey did not say the proposal would provide free breakfast to every Alabama student.
The discussion focused on providing enough state funding for all schools to be able to offer a breakfast program.
Mackey did not provide details during the meeting about how many Alabama schools currently do not offer breakfast, which schools would benefit from the additional funding or whether eligibility and meal costs for individual students would change.
Those questions remain unanswered as the state develops its budget request.
The current $7 million for school breakfast was included in supplemental funding. Mackey said ALSDE recently sent information to school districts about that money.
Moving the program into the regular education budget could give school breakfast a more established place in Alabama’s annual education spending plan, although lawmakers would still decide how much to appropriate each year.
Proposal is not yet approved
The additional $7 million is still only a request.
The State Board is developing its proposed FY28 education budget and is expected to vote on the request in October. Mackey told members that changes could still be made before then.
The request would then become part of the larger state budget process, with the Alabama Legislature ultimately deciding whether to provide the money.
The school breakfast proposal is one of several areas where ALSDE is asking lawmakers to move programs that have relied on supplemental appropriations into the regular education budget. The department is making a similar request for funding aimed at struggling readers.
For families, the potential impact is straightforward but still needs more detail: ALSDE says $14 million would be enough to close the funding gap so every Alabama school could offer a breakfast program. What remains unclear is exactly what that would mean for the price and availability of breakfast for individual students.
