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School officials, lawmakers, anti-hunger organizations and parents have hailed this pioneering project to further alleviate the negative connotations around food assistance programs.

\"This is so historic. It's beyond life-changing,\" Erin Primer, director of food services for the San Luis Coastal Unified School District on California's central coast said in a statement.

\"PHOTO:
Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images, FILE.
PHOTO: A cafeteria worker passes out lunches at Weaverville Elementary school on Aug. 17, 2020 in Weaverville, Calif.
>

While other major cities including New York, Boston and Chicago have free school meals in place, statewide universal meal programs have been called too costly and unrealistic.

Late last month, California was the first state to adopt a universal program, followed shortly after by Maine which created a similar plan.

\"We've completely leveled the playing field when it comes to school food,\" Primer said, adding that this funding will allow her to offer \"tastier, better quality food such as fresh bread, produce and cheese from local producers.\"

According to the USDA Food and Nutrition service, a family of four must make less than $34,000 a year to qualify for free meals and $48,000 to qualify for reduced-price meals. While caps shift annually, it's based on federal poverty measures that don't take into account taxes and high cost of living in California.

Over 200 organizations back the \"School Meals for All\" coalition, including longtime universal free meals advocate Sen. Nancy Skinner and other lawmakers, and have pushed for funding in the state budget to gain momentum.

The $262 billion budget provides $54 million for the coming school year, supplementing funding from the Biden administration through June 2022. After that, California will spend $650 million annually.

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