KENOSHA, Wis. — State Superintendent Jill Underly on Friday proposed a plan to provide free meals to all Wisconsin public school students, a move that would cost nearly $294 million.

The proposal, if approved, would ensure that all students, regardless of their family’s income, have access to nutritious meals at school.

“It’s a no brainer,” Underly said. “Every child deserves the right to learn and thrive without the burden of hunger.”

It’s something that hits home for Marie Michelle, a dedicated lunchroom worker at Kenosha Unified School District. She knows firsthand the impact on hunger on a child’s life.

“I know what it’s like to be hungry,” Michelle said. 

Michelle and her team prepare 20,000 meals a day for Kenosha students. The district is one of the few in the state to provide free meals for all.

“My mom always tried to do what she could for us, but here, you got so many kids and so much food,” Michelle said. “No kids leave hungry.”

Emily Riedler, director of food service at Kenosha Unified School District, shares the same passion.

“It just really makes you feel like you’re making a difference in their lives because I hear so often from teachers and parents that the students are hungry,” Riedler said. 

According to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, one in four high school students in the state report going hungry due to lack of food at home.

“I know how you feel when you are hungry,” Michelle said. “You have to go to school and then you have to come back and do your homework and study, and you got to eat so your brain can be thinking about what you can do for homework.”

If the Legislature passes the bill in June, Wisconsin students could have access to free breakfast and lunch starting next school year.