New Government Initiative for School Lunch Funding

On October 4, 2024, the Ukrainian government approved a resolution to allocate funds from the national budget for the provision of meals for primary school students in general education institutions.

According to the resolution, the subsidy will cover 70% of the meal costs for students in grades 1-4, while the remaining 30% must be provided by the local budget.

Elena Buinevich, the director of the Department of Education and Science, reported that the corresponding draft decision for the Odessa City Council will be prepared shortly.

It is planned to provide free meals for approximately 20,000 students in grades 1-4 at educational institutions in Odessa.

«After the deputies review and allocate funds from the city budget, the next step will be to conduct a tender. Currently, only students from low-income categories in grades 1-4 are receiving meals funded by the city budget in Odessa», - noted the head of the city’s Department of Education and Science.