Portland Public Schools (PPS) will roll out a free breakfast and lunch program for all students during the 2024-2025 academic year to ensure every student has access to essential nutrition. As KOIN reports, this development is meant to bolster student success and overall well-being by providing consistent, nutritious meals without charge.

The program is about eliminating hunger and augmenting the educational experience with nutritional balance. Breakfast will now offer an entree, a fruit option, and milk, setting up students for a day of focused learning. As KATU states, lunch will include an entree, milk, and a promise of unlimited fruits and vegetables. The idea is clear—well-nourished children are better learners.

Embracing this pivot to a cashless system, the PPS declaration details that kitchen teams will no longer accept cash or check payments. Due to this shift, students who bring lunch from home but opt to add school-provided milk will be required to take two additional items at no expense—a fruit and a vegetable, conforming to the district's nutritional guidelines.

"Access to nutritious meals is a crucial component of student success and well-being, and we are thrilled to be able to take advantage of this opportunity on behalf of our students," Whitney Ellersick, Senior Director of Nutrition Service, told KATU.