BISMARCK, N.D. — The Together for School Meals campaign has submitted 57,229 petition signatures to the North Dakota Secretary of State in an effort to qualify a ballot initiative that would guarantee universal school meals for all K-12 students statewide, marking a major step toward providing free breakfast and lunch to children across North Dakota, according to The Fairness Project.
“With 57,229 signatures delivered to the Secretary of State, it’s clear that North Dakotans are energized to guarantee meals to schoolchildren across the state,” said Kelly Hall, executive director of the organization, in a statement issued after the signatures were submitted to place the measure on the ballot.
According to The Fairness Project, the ballot measure, if approved, would guarantee that all enrolled K-12 students in North Dakota have access to one breakfast and one lunch each school day at no cost to students or their parents or guardians.
The Fairness Project said universal school meals are intended to reduce barriers to education by providing adequate nutrition to students regardless of their financial background. The organization said expanding access to school meals would contribute to both educational success and the well-being of working families throughout the state.
Hall emphasized the urgency of expanding access to school nutrition programs, stating that “in a nation so rich in food, there’s simply no reason any child should face the school day hungry.” She added that states across the country “should be looking to Bismarck today to see how they too can ensure that no child goes to school without the food they need.”
According to The Fairness Project, the initiative would allow the state Legislature to determine how to fund school meals, while directing lawmakers to use earnings from the state’s Legacy Fund if there is a shortfall in funding.
Since its establishment, the organization has worked to pass ballot measures on issues including expanded access to health care, raising the minimum wage and protecting reproductive rights.
Hall said the North Dakota campaign reflects strong grassroots engagement around policies that directly affect families, noting that residents are “tackling an urgent need with a commonsense solution.”
According to The Fairness Project, between 2016 and 2024, the organization backed more than 10 campaigns aimed at increasing the minimum wage and, in 2024, became the largest supporter of abortion-rights ballot measures, with investments in several states topping $30 million.
In the current election cycle, The Fairness Project is backing ballot initiatives focused on maintaining nonpartisan courts, protecting state constitutions from amendments by special interests, creating fair congressional districts and preserving the initiative process.
The next step for the universal school meals initiative will be the signature verification process. Once completed, campaigners plan to begin efforts to persuade voters statewide to support the ballot measure in November.
Follow the Vanguard on Social Media – X, Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe the Vanguard News letters. To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit davisvanguard.org/donate or give directly through ActBlue. Your support will ensure that the vital work of the Vanguard continues.
