News Release
For Immediate Release
July 28, 2026
CONTACT: Jesse Franz, Councilmember Strauss’ Office
(206) 819-8786 or jesse.franz@seattle.gov
Mayor, Councilmembers agree on plan to improve food access for Seattle students
SEATTLE – Seattle City Councilmembers and the mayor announced agreement today on a unified strategy to improve food access for Seattle students.
The proposal would fund both universal free school meals, as proposed by Mayor Katie B. Wilson, and six-years of food support for students in need outside of the classroom, as proposed by Council President Joy Hollingsworth (District 3) and Councilmember Dionne Foster (Position 8).
"We are united in rejecting the notion that we have to choose between feeding students during school or outside of the classroom. We can and we must do both. This investment is simply too important not to make. I am proud to work together with the Mayor and my Council colleagues to ensure both of these critical investments in addressing student hunger become a reality,” said Councilmember Dan Strauss (District 6).
“We are making universal school meals a reality for Seattle this September, and students who most need it will have greater access to food on weekends and school breaks. Feeding every student in Seattle is a goal the City Council and I share, and I am grateful we were able to work together to find a fiscally responsible path forward. This is a tremendous victory for families across our city that will make Seattle more affordable. I want to thank the food justice organizers, youth, educators, labor unions, and community members who organized to make this possible. K-12 education is free and universal, and this September, the nutrition every child needs to learn will be, too,” said Mayor Wilson.
“Expanding food access through school breaks and weekends is vital to supporting children and families. This targeted approach helps close food gaps by providing grocery access to families facing the greatest barriers while building on the foundation of school meals. This investment gives families the dignity to choose the foods that best meet their household's nutritional, cultural, and dietary needs while helping stretch family budgets during the times when school meals are unavailable. A big thank you to the community organizations, family support workers, resource navigators, educators and families whose voices helped shape this effort and championed a solution that meets families where they are. Together, we are creating a stronger and more responsive food access system in Seattle.” said Council President Hollingsworth.
“The best investment we can make is in our children. By expanding universal school meals beginning this fall and doubling our investment to provide meals on weekends and during school breaks, we're helping more students come to school nourished, making life more affordable for families, and closing a longstanding equity gap in food access. I'm grateful to Mayor Wilson and my Council colleagues for coming together to deliver a more comprehensive outcome that puts our city's children first,” said Councilmember Foster.
About the proposal
Both student food assistance programs would start this fall under this proposal. That includes:
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Universal free school meals for all Seattle Public School students. This program will be paid for in the 2026-2027 school year using one-time funds. The Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise (FEPP) Levy will pay for the program in the 2027-2028 school year.
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Food funding for food insecure students outside the classroom for the next six years. This program would be funded by the FEPP Levy and would provide assistance to food insecure students over weekends and during school breaks.
This agreement follows two separate proposals. One from Mayor Wilson that would have funded universal free school meals for the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 school years, and one from Council President Hollingsworth and Councilmember Foster that would have started universal school meals in the 2027-2028 school year and invested in six-years of funding for food insecure students outside of the classroom. This proposal does both beginning in the 2026-2027 school year.
School Meals Information
Seattle Public Schools already provides free breakfast and lunch at 51 schools through existing federal and state meal programs. These schools are concentrated in neighborhoods with higher rates of poverty. Last school year, 53 schools did not offer universal school meals, and this proposal would close that gap for the more than 6,800 food insecure students who attend those schools.
Reflecting current Seattle Public Schools policy, families will still be encouraged to complete a meal eligibility application; this allows Seattle Public Schools to receive critical state and federal reimbursement and helps determine eligibility for other student supports and school funding.
What’s next
The City Council is scheduled to vote on the funding included from the FEPP levy today during its 2 p.m. meeting.
The additional funding for universal free school meals will be considered as part of the Midyear Supplemental Budget Legislation. That legislation is scheduled for a vote next Tuesday, August 4 at 9:30 a.m. in the Finance, Native Communities, and Tribal Governments Committee.
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