LUCY VALESKI

Every South Carolina child would receive free breakfast when they show up to public school, regardless of their family’s income, under a proposal from Gov. Henry McMaster.

The plan, which would cost the state about $8.7 million annually, would help improve student focus and performance in school, McMaster said.

“Eating breakfast improves their cognitive performance, attention, memory and behavior and thereby improving everything that happens in that classroom with their academic performance,” McMaster told reporters Monday afternoon.

McMaster’s proposal only covers breakfast, but he would support universal free lunch for students in the future, he said.

“I think the system would operate better if it were universal,” McMaster said. “The cost is minimal compared to the positive impact.”

About 1 in 6 South Carolina children face hunger, according to a report from Feeding America, the national food bank organization.

The proposed state money, complemented by federal dollars, would provide 4.1 million meals in South Carolina annually, according to a budget summary, which cited research from the South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs office.

South Carolina wouldn’t pay for every meal because the federal government already provides funding to some schools and districts with a certain percentage low-income families. If 25% of students in a school, district or group of schools meet certain criteria, like they are food stamps eligible, everyone at the school receives free breakfast and lunch. Schools receive reimbursements from the federal government based on how many enrolled students qualify.

Many South Carolina districts, including some in the Midlands, participate in the federal reimbursement program, according to data from the South Carolina Department of Education.

The proposal is included in McMaster’s executive budget, which was unveiled Monday, one day before the General Assembly reconvenes for 2026. The governor’s plan kicks off the budget writing process for South Carolina lawmakers, who will pass their own versions of how the state spends money.

South Carolina has more than $700 million in new annual money and $1.7 billion in nonrecurring, or one-time, money for next fiscal year.

Caption:

Joshua Boucher jboucher@thestate.com

Gov. Henry McMaster proposed providing free breakfast to every public school student in South Carolina Monday, Jan. 12, 2025. A lunch that meets school health guidelines at Blaney Elementary on Monday, March 16, 2020.