Local schools are urging voters to keep the “Healthy School Meals for All” program off the chopping block in the November election.
The Colorado Department of Education implemented the HSMA program during the 2023-24 school year after Colorado voters approved Proposition FF in November 2022. HSMA allows public school districts and charter school food authorities to provide free meals to all students. All eligible districts have opted in to participate.
The continuation of the program depends on the outcome of two ballot measures: Proposition LL and Proposition MM. Colorado voters will be deciding on both in November.
Proposition LL asks voters to allow the state to keep and spend about $12.4 million in excess tax revenue already collected from high-income earners in 2022 by the Healthy School Meals for All program.
Proposition MM is a legislatively referred state statute that asks voters to decide whether state taxes on high-income households will be increased to provide additional funding for the HSMA and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.
If Propositions LL and MM are rejected, free school meals will stop being available at some schools in January 2026, and any additional funding for the program will be blocked. The state will also issue Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, or TABOR, refunds.
Matthew Poling, director of Food and Nutrition Services for Durango Public Schools, oversees the district's national school breakfast and lunch programs. He said the Durango community has benefited greatly from the program. On a daily average, 1,500 breakfasts and 3,000 lunches are served, though the number varies with the menu.
In a mountain community like Durango, where living expenses are high, families who wouldn’t normally qualify for meal benefits are still struggling to make ends meet, and are living paycheck-to-paycheck, Poling said.
“Getting a healthy meal shouldn’t be a struggle,” Poling said. “If these students are in school all day long, then we should be the ones responsible for providing them with the healthy meal and they shouldn’t have to worry about how much it costs or where it comes from.”
The Juniper School and Animas High School took part in a recent research study conducted by the Colorado League of Charter Schools that aimed to better understand how the Healthy School Meals for All program has affected rural charter schools. Both schools reported HSMA having a noticeable, positive impact on students and families.
Results from the study for The Juniper School showed that before the Healthy School Meals for All program was used, about 100 students participated in the daily school lunch program. That number grew by 30% following the program being instated, according to the release. Many students also utilize a free breakfast program at the school, and a rural food grant was given to the school to purchase necessary equipment to improve meal quality and service.
Assistant Principal of The Juniper School Kristin Harmon told The Durango Herald she has a passion for serving healthy food in schools, and that the HSMA program has been “extremely successful” at relieving families of economic burdens. She said she has seen a “ripple effect” for good attendance, better behavior and better academic performance. HSMA has also shifted culture around school meals by reducing stigma, Harmon said.
“We’re not going to get very far if we’re not meeting their basic needs,” Harmon said. “So when students are hungry, we see more challenges than if their bodies are nourished with healthy food.”
At Animas High School, student use of the school lunch program increased from 33% to 58% with the presence of the Healthy School Meals for All program, according to data gathered by the study. Animas High has also instated a free breakfast program at the school.
The Healthy School Meals for All program has ensured that all Animas High School families are “on the same playing field” without outstanding lunch balances to pay, said Animas High School Director of Operations Christine Imming in a release on the results of the study.
The Juniper School and Animas High School both expressed that if the program were to be discontinued, the impact on students and families would be noticeable.
“Low income families would not be able to offer their kids the quantity or quality of a healthy meal,” Harmon said of the predicted effects on the Juniper School. “Lacking access to enough food – and healthy food – can lead to low academic performance and behavior issues.”
The percentage of families qualifying for free and reduced lunch increased from 19.8% in the 2018-19 school year to 27% in 2024-25, illustrating an increased need for food assistance programs like Healthy School Meals for All, the Colorado League of Charter Schools said. According to the study done by the League, the program has had a positive impact on rural charter schools across the state overall.
Poling said other kindergarten through 12th grade food service providers would have similar things to say about the importance of student health and providing free and nutritious meals.
“We’re here for a reason. We’re here for the students, we’re here for their health, we’re here for their education,” Poling said. “In order for a student to learn, they need to be nourished. It nourishes their bodies and minds, and that’s why we do what we do.”
Voting deadlines
Ballots were sent on Friday. All ballots must be returned to a ballot drop box or voter service and polling center by 7 p.m. on Nov. 4. Ballots postmarked on or before Nov. 4 cannot be counted toward election numbers; a filled out ballot must be in the hands of the county clerk by the deadline in order to be counted.
Early in-person voting begins Oct. 27, and drop boxes open Oct. 28.
The deadline to register to vote is 7 p.m. on Election Day for in-person registration, and Oct. 27 for mail-in registration.
epond@durangoherald.com ahatting@durangoherald.com
