New School Year, New Opportunities for Healthier Kansas Schools

Back-to-school season is officially here! To mark the end of summer and a fresh start, we are reviewing the top policy wins for schools from the 2026 Kansas legislative session and sharing a sneak peek at how we plan to make schools a healthier place in 2027.

After years of advocacy, the legislature allocated $750,000 in funds this spring to help teach Kansas students CPR in schools and implement cardiac emergency response plans (CERPs). Also, last session, House Bill 2402, which helps families by providing free meals for children during the school day by encouraging local districts’ adoption of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), passed and was signed into law by Governor Kelly. For more about these legislative wins, click here to read our 2026 legislative session recap.

We have no plans of stopping there! In 2027, we are tackling healthy eating habits in schools with Time to Eat. Across Kansas, students often have 10 minutes or less to eat school lunch after waiting in line for food and finding a seat.

The Time to Eat policy will aim to establish a minimum 30-minute lunch period with at least 20 minutes of dedicated seated time to allow students to eat their food after going through the lunch line.

Sign up today to join the movement to ensure students have ample time to eat in Kansas schools!

Short mealtimes are associated with rushed meals, higher food waste, and poorer nutrition, especially among students who depend on school meals as their most reliable source of healthy food. Students cannot benefit from nutritious school meals if they do not have enough time to eat them.