🍽 Universal school meals funded after all?

City Council Votes to Delay Universal School Meals, Then Changes Course Following Public Outcry

In a speedy reversal, Seattle City Council announced a proposal Thursday afternoon to fund universal free school meals for all Seattle Public School students starting this fall. Just a day earlier, the council voted to delay Mayor Katie Wilson’s universal school meals program until the 2027 school year. They instead chose to create a new voucher system, which would provide food over weekends and most school breaks via pre-paid grocery cards to qualifying students for the next six years. Now, the council has proposed an amendment to the city’s Midyear Supplemental Budget to include funding for universal free school meals in addition to the voucher program. [Seattle City Council, CHUM News, The Stranger]

• Vouchers versus universal meals: Council President Joy Hollingsworth and Councilmember Dionne Foster were the original sponsors of the amendment to create the voucher program. Hollingsworth told KUOW “this was never an 'either-or.’ It was always about 'and.'” She and Foster said they wanted to address the kids with the most need first, delaying universal school breakfasts and lunches for another year. However, the Seattle teacher’s union called on the council to vote against the amendment, saying educators would face the burden of choosing which kids need additional food. Though Foster argued the voucher program does not include means testing, contributor Guy Oron writes “deciding which students get the vouchers is by definition means testing.” [The Stranger]
• Strauss, Hollingsworth and Foster reverse course: During and following the vote on Wednesday, commenters and advocates questioned why the council chose one program over another, saying all students could be fed. On Thursday, the council suddenly found a solution allowing both programs to move forward. The additional amendment sponsored by Hollingsworth, Foster, and Budget Chair Dan Strauss uses funding from the City’s general fund for the universal meals rather than the mayor’s proposal of using the Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise (FEPP) levy. The vote on this new amendment will take place on August 4 at 9:30 a.m. [Seattle City Council]
• More on the podcast: On Monday’s podcast, Jane will be joined by reporter Adam Willems, who spoke with Foster, Hollingsworth, Strauss and many Seattleites about the voucher program and the new amendment. She’ll also talk to Jesse Hagopian, a Seattle educator who wrote an opinion piece for The Stranger about the universal school meals program. The episode will break down what the Millionaires Tax has to do with all this, what educators are saying about the voucher program, and what in the world is going on between the mayor’s office and city council. Tune in on Monday!

😵‍💫 WA’s growing lawsuit costs break records: As Washington faces an ongoing budget deficit, legal settlements and jury verdicts for government misconduct have climbed to $537 million for the last fiscal year. The legal costs are in large part due to the state’s foster care system, but also include allowing incarcerated residents to die in prison and employee discrimination. The latest figures are five times what Washington paid in 2021. [Washington State Standard]

🍒 Capitol Hill has a new fruit stand: In some much-needed sweet news, a fruit stand has set up shop in the spot vacated by Haunted Burrows Books. Sweet Mary’s Cherries is temporarily open at 430 15th Ave E seven days a week. They have Bing and Rainier cherry varieties as well as strawberries, grapes, blueberries, blackberries, apples, plums, peaches, and cantaloupe. Local summer fruit is my favorite. [CHS Blog]

🤖 Amazon lays off members of artificial intelligence team: An Amazon spokesperson confirmed to the Seattle Times that the layoffs took place, but declined to share specific details, including the number of people losing their jobs. The layoffs add to more than 30,000 job cuts at Amazon over the last ten months. [Seattle Times]