Free School Meals for All? Prop MM Heads to Colorado Ballot

This fall, Colorado voters will decide if the state should offer free school lunches on cafeteria trays. Proposition MM will be on the November 2025 ballot and seeks to generate new revenue by adjusting tax deductions for high-income households.

Coloradans will decide if money from these deductions should be dedicated to the Healthy School Meals for All program. The outcome will play a big role in shaping how breakfast and lunch are served for the foreseeable future.

What Proposition MM Does

How exactly will Prop MM help raise enough funds to cover the cost of breakfast and lunch at school? If it passes, the measure would limit the amount wealthy taxpayers can write off on their state taxes. In this case, wealthy would mean households earning over $300,000.

The Colorado General Assembly says the adjustment is expected to raise $95 million per year starting in 2026. This revenue would be dedicated to funding the Healthy School Meals for All program, which offers K-12 students free breakfasts and lunches.

Why It’s on the Ballot

Colorado voters may feel they addressed this a few years ago when they voted on Proposition FF in 2022. That was the vote that launched the universal meals program. Since then, costs have outpaced original revenue, and the state is coming up short. If Prop MM fails, the program may need to be scaled back.

What It Means for Western Colorado

Between school districts in Mesa, Delta, and Montrose, thousands of meals are served each school day in Western Colorado. Support for MM says the program lessens the strain on families’ grocery expenses. Critics suggest the funds could be better spent on areas such as teacher pay or tax reductions.

It’s an issue that will significantly impact Western Slope counties, so communities will be watching closely this fall. Election Day is November 4, 2025. Voters can expect ballots to be mailed in mid-October.

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