Two ballot measures will impact Healthy School Meals for All program

By BEAR ATWOOD
The Ramspondents

A familiar issue raised on this year's ballot for voters could be Propositions LL and MM. 

In 2022, voters set in place Proposition FF focused on the Healthy School Meals for All program. This allowed for all kindergarten through 12-grade students in Colorado to receive free cafeteria meals regardless of if they are on the National School Lunch Program. 

Proposition FF also promised to raise cafeteria workers wages and buy produce from local farmers for the school lunches. These aspects were never realized due to more students than expected utilizing the program and high increases in inflation then initially calculated, according to the 2025 Blue Book.

According to Colorado Public Radio’s reporter Jenny Brundin, “Farmers were upset because they’d already planted crops to sell to schools. Some were planning to build greenhouses.” 

Both Proposition MM and LL are connected, but Proposition MM creates longer lasting changes. 

Proposition MM would tax households more heavily that make $300,000 or more annually in order to continue to fund the Healthy School Meals for All program. This would also give some additional funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – a program that might be affected due to the continuing government shutdown. 

This proposition could be important for the Healthy School Meals for All program as a whole. Given the larger demand than expected for hot lunches means cafeteria workers are expected to serve more students healthier and more labor-intensive meals.

These limits are not new, as similar ones were enacted with Proposition FF which had initially funded the program by limiting federal tax deductions for those earning $300,000 from $30,000 to $12,000 for single filers and from $60,000 to $16,000 for joint filers. Proposition MM would increase these limits to $1,000 for single filers and $2,000 for joint filers. 

Proposition LL concerns additional funds and interest raised from Proposition FF, as $12.4 million extra funds had been allocated. If the proposition fails, the state will refund the extra funds for those households making $300,000 or more per year.

In addition to keeping the surplus funds, this proposition would also allow the state to continue the current tax limits already in place. 

If Proposition MM fails, there will be no change in taxes for households that earn 300,000 or more annually. This means the limit would still be $12,000 for single filers and $16,000 for joint filers, as it is currently set to reduce the taxes collected in accordance to The Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights to avoid over-collection again for those households. 

If Proposition LL is passed, the state would also be required to spend at least $1 million on buying local produce and create training programs for cafeteria workers. This would only happen if the funds are not provided by Proposition MM. 

If neither proposition is passed, the state will likely need to cut back the Healthy School Meals for All program and only allow free lunches to students already on the National School Lunch Program.

Bear Atwood is a writer and reporter with a passion for community-based journalism. He’s a first gen college student attending CSU with a major in English and a minor in Journalism and Media Communication.

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