NC H777

Requires public school units to provide breakfast and lunch to all students at no cost through school food authorities, compliant with federal USDA guidelines.

Directs State Board of Education to allocate funds to school food authorities based on evaluation criteria including school size, free/reduced-price lunch eligible students, prior year expenditures, food quality, and use of locally sourced products.

Appropriates $148,800,000 in recurring funds for fiscal year 2023-2024 to provide no-cost nutrition services, with authority to use State Aid for Public Schools funds if insufficient.

Extends no-cost meal requirements to charter schools, regional schools, laboratory schools, and schools governed by the specified articles.

Board may reserve up to 10% of available funds for future allocation and issues allocations at the beginning of each fiscal year; act becomes effective July 1, 2023.