Resolution 25-29 on Prop MM and LL.pdf (62 KB)

BOULDER VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT RE-2 RESOLUTION NO. 25-29 Support for 2025 Colorado State Ballot Propositions MM and LL: Providing Funding for the “Healthy School Meals for All” Program WHEREAS, the Boulder Valley School District Board of Education believes that children learn best when they have adequate nutrition and access to healthy school meals; WHEREAS, the Board of Education believes that historical financial requirements for meal benefits eligibility left many needy families without coverage, particularly in Boulder County whose residents bear higher costs of living; WHEREAS, in 2022, Colorado voters approved proposition FF, establishing the Healthy School Meals for All Program and funding it by limiting state income tax deductions for individuals with annual incomes of $300,000 or more; WHEREAS, the Program provides healthy school meals for all students regardless of economic status, helps districts with investment in local food purchasing, and provides local food purchasing training and technical assistance; WHEREAS, since the 2023-2024 launch, the Program has reduced stigma, increased student access to healthy meals, improved student physical and mental health and well-being, boosted academic success, saved families money state-wide, and reduced paperwork burdens on families and schools; WHEREAS, in the Boulder Valley School District, the Healthy School Meals for All Program has delivered numerous additional benefits, including permitting the School District to offer more food options including vegetarian, dairy free, and gluten free meals, manage more predictable demand, reduce food waste, and further support the purchase of food from local farmers and ranchers; WHEREAS, due to increased demand, rising food costs, and changes in federal reimbursements, the Program’s annual cost is now projected at $150 million, significantly higher than the initial estimate of $48 to $78 million; WHEREAS, two legislatively referred ballot measures, the “Allow State to Retain Revenue from Proposition FF Measure,” and the “Tax Deductions and Revenue for School Meals Measure,” would support the Healthy School Meals for All Program. The former would allow Colorado to retain tax revenue collected above the initial estimates for Proposition FF, and the latter would modify tax law to generate an additional $95 million annually for the Program; WHEREAS, if both measures are rejected, fiscal analysts have determined the Program will end after the 2025-26 school year and BVSD anticipates significant impact beginning in the second semester of the current school year;

WHEREAS, passing both ballot measures would enable the Program to continue supporting students, educators, and districts, despite the financial and logistical challenges to its continued success; and, WHEREAS, the Board declares that the “Allow State to Retain Revenue from Proposition FF Measure,” and the “Tax Deductions and Revenue for School Meals Measure” are matters of official concern. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Boulder Valley Board of Education officially declares its support for the “Allow State to Retain Revenue from Proposition FF” and “Tax Deductions and Revenue for School Meals” measures, as these initiatives will ensure the continuation and expansion of the Healthy School Meals for All Program, an important benefit to Colorado’s families and students; and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the School District shall post this Resolution and distribute it to School District staff and parents in all the predominantly used languages of the District and shall broadly communicate the commitments of this Resolution. Adopted this____ day of ___________, 2025 Attest: _____________________________ Nicole Rajpal

_____________________________ Laura A. Shafer

President, Board of Education

Secretary, Board of Education