KFGO file photo
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFGO) – Together for School Meals on Thursday delivered more than 57,229 signatures to the North Dakota Secretary of State in the attempt to ensure every K-12 student has access to school meals at no cost to families.
Collected in just over 100 days, the signatures exceed the required number by more than 26,000. The minimum required number of signatures is just over 31,000.
“This is what it looks like when people show up for something they believe in,” said Amy Jacobson, board leader with Together for School Meals. “We saw an outpouring of support in every corner of the state with people asking to sign, volunteers stepping up, and organizations leaning in. Collecting this number of signatures so quickly speaks to how much North Dakotans want to see this move forward.”
Under the proposed measure, every enrolled K-12 student in North Dakota would have access to one breakfast and one lunch every school day, at no cost to students, their parents, or guardians. While the measure doesn’t mandate where the funding must come from, it ensures lawmakers will use the state’s Legacy Fund earnings if other resources aren’t sufficient.
“Providing school meals at no cost is one of the most direct ways we can invest in our kids,” said Robin Nelson, A Fargo School board member and Chair of Together for School Meals. “This measure resonates across political and geographic lines because it’s about kids, families, and fairness not politics. It’s a commonsense policy that supports students and strengthens our communities.”
Supporters say the campaign’s signature collection success was driven by a broad coalition of parents, educators, labor leaders, and community organizations, reflecting deep and sustained engagement across the state.
More than 60 organizations have signed on in support of the effort, including the North Dakota Farmers Union, North Dakota United, American Heart Association of North Dakota, North Dakota School Nutrition Association, Creating a Hunger Free North Dakota and the North Dakota AFL-CIO.
Secretary of State Michael Howe has until May 14 to determine whether enough valid signatures were collected for the constitutional initiative to appear on the ballot.
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