Government is cutting $3 million in the budget for its free public school meals programme after spending less than expected on the initiative in the first half of the year.
Money saved from this programme and others will go towards a $4 million increase in local and overseas scholarships and bursaries, a summary of the minutes of a 1 Aug. Cabinet meeting indicates.
In response to questions from the Compass on the decrease in spending for the meals programme, a Ministry of Education spokesperson said the ministry had achieved “substantial monthly savings in its budgeted expenditure for the school meals programme during the first half of 2023”.
The $3 million cut accounts for nearly 20% of the $14.9 million originally budgeted for the programme this year. The ministry said it spent $5.7 million on the free meals for students in the first half of the year, considerably less than had been anticipated and budgeted.
The Compass is awaiting a response from the ministry on the reasons behind the underspend in budget for that initiative.
For the entirety of 2022, the programme cost $8.1 million. For the first two months of that year, the free meals were only available at government primary schools and the Lighthouse School, but the programme was expanded to include all government secondary schools in March last year.
The programme is currently available to all students enrolled in local government schools, including those attending the Cayman Islands Further Education Centre and dual-entry students at the University College of the Cayman Islands and private schools.
The free school meals programme, which provides students with daily breakfast, lunch and snacks, was rolled out in August 2021 in government primary schools and the Lighthouse School, and was expanded to secondary schools from March 2022.
According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Education at the time, the programme was intended to be available to 5,200 public school students and was expected to cost approximately $16 million each year.
The summary of the 1 Aug. Cabinet minutes noted that $4 million had been added to the budget for educational scholarships and bursaries. According to the 2022/2023 budget documents, just over $10 million had been originally allocated to cover the costs of scholarships and bursaries in 2023.
Meals still needed while schools are out
While children in public schools – some who may not otherwise have lunch – receive free meals while the schools are open, throughout the summer months, for many, the need remains.
During the summer, while schools are out, the ministry continues to provide free meals to all students attending the Department of Education Services summer school programme, but others must depend on government assistance or charitable donations.
Jennifer West, director of Meals on Wheels, said the charity sees a steady rise in requests for assistance during the summer and other holiday periods.
“It is an ongoing issue that, when kids are out of school, our meals are made to feed extra mouths for those grandparents who have them left in their care,” she said.
“We have tried to assist as best possible to provide snacks and food items to those seniors’ homes that face this issue; however, we aren’t in a financial position to provide extra meals that would meet the children’s diet.”
She added, “We know that no grandparent will eat their meal and let their grandchildren go without. We are thankful for those who donate food items that we can’t give to our seniors but they are utilised in homes with children and teens.”
West said the situation is worsening, as the “price of everything rises and people are simply trying to survive”.
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