South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster is calling on the state to provide free breakfast to all public school students, making the proposal part of his recommended budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
McMaster made the request Monday while unveiling his budget plan, arguing that access to breakfast improves students’ readiness to learn.
“Research studies have documented that children who eat breakfast daily are better prepared to learn in the classroom,” McMaster said. “Eating breakfast — which I believe, and others believe, is the most important meal of the day for a young person.”
The governor also said he would support a universal free lunch program in the future.
Beyond school meals, McMaster’s budget priorities include raising teacher and law enforcement pay, investing millions of dollars in land conservation, funding a new cancer research institute at the Medical University of South Carolina, and allocating more than $1 billion for road construction.
Lawmakers will review the governor’s proposal as they begin budget negotiations for the next fiscal year.
