A new school lunch plan in New Brunswick is drawing both support and criticism.
The province is preparing to introduce a pay‑what‑you‑can model that will change how students access school meals this fall.
Premier Susan Holt said the goal is to make nutritious food more accessible and help families manage rising costs.
“We know when students have a full belly, they can better focus on learning,” Holt said in a government release.
Families will pay four dollars per meal for students in kindergarten to grade 8 and five dollars for high school students.
The province will cover the remaining cost, and full subsidies will be available for families who cannot afford to pay.
Community organizations that raise funds will also help support the subsidy system.
Concerns over last year’s rollout
Progressive Conservative education critic Ian Lee said he supports help for families, but raised concerns about how the program was handled last year.
He said some community groups withdrew from school food programs when they believed the province planned to take over the system.
“When they initially learned that the government was planning to take this over back in September last year, they decided to take their volunteers and funds and go elsewhere, and those groups left,” Lee said in the Legislature.
“And then the government changed their plans, and then the schools were left on the hook.”
Lee said he hopes the province avoids similar confusion as the program expands.
Education Minister Claire Johnson said the lunch plan is expected to improve student engagement and help families.
“This school lunch program, where all students have access to healthy meals, will result in increased student engagement, which will lead to better results overall,” Johnson said.
She thanked food service providers and community groups for helping deliver the program.
Calls for broader action on food insecurity
Green MLA Megan Mitton said she has long supported universal school food programs and called the new lunch plan a positive step.
But she said the province must also address food insecurity outside school hours.
“It is essential to work to make sure that kids have food outside of school hours,” Mitton said.
“That is an important piece of this, and if that is not addressed, then you’re really only addressing one piece of the puzzle.”
Mitton said she still has questions about the funding model and how much the government expects community groups to contribute.
She also raised concerns about the availability of local food, noting cuts to provincial veterinary and lab services.
A prototype of the lunch program is already operating in selected schools.
The province says the pilot will help determine whether any adjustments are needed before the full rollout in September.
Community groups and funding
Community organizations say the need for food support continues to grow.
Jane Buckley, executive director of the Oromocto Food Bank, said rising living costs have pushed more families toward food insecurity.
She said access to breakfast and lunch at school will help ensure vulnerable students do not go hungry.
Marc Allain, project manager for a partnership between CÉ D’ICI and Meals on Wheels, said his group is preparing to deliver lunches made with local ingredients to 10 Fredericton‑area schools this fall.
He said the organizations are already providing meals through the prototype program and hope to share their model with others.
The province has set aside $26 million for the lunch program in 2026‑27, including $7 million in new funding.
The program will run alongside the universal breakfast program, which is supported by $2 million a year from the province and $11 million over three years from the federal National School Food Program.
The government says families who use both programs are expected to save between $900 and $2,000 a year.
