The Nova Scotia school lunch program is doing more than putting healthy meals on the tables of students across the province. As the program enters its third year, it is also helping local food businesses expand, creating employment opportunities and supporting communities throughout Nova Scotia.
With the program expanding to all public schools in the 2026–27 school year, its impact will continue to reach more students, families, workers and local businesses.
Supporting Students and Families Across Nova Scotia
The school lunch program was created with a simple goal: to make sure students have access to a healthy meal during the school day, regardless of their family’s ability to pay.
During the 2025–26 school year, lunches were available to more than 104,000 students across 334 schools. Families can choose to pay what they can for meals, but there is no expectation that families contribute.
That approach recognizes that every family’s circumstances are different while ensuring that students can access a meal at school without their family’s ability to pay being a barrier.
Growing Local Businesses and Creating Jobs
The benefits of the school lunch program extend beyond the classroom.
Local businesses that prepare and deliver school meals are expanding their operations, creating new employment opportunities and investing in expanded facilities and equipment.
In Halifax, Upward Mobility Kitchens has experienced significant growth since becoming involved in the school lunch program. The organization has grown from three employees to 33, while working with non-profit organizations in the community and sourcing food from independent providers, including its own farm.
This summer, the organization is renovating a 6,500-square-foot kitchen on Bayers Road to provide more school meals in the coming school year. Upward Mobility Kitchens is currently producing between 3,500 and 4,500 meals a day and says the expanded kitchen could produce as many as 25,000 meals a day.
The Lunch Lady in Lower Sackville has seen similar growth. What began with lunches being delivered to four schools has expanded to serving 15 elementary and junior high schools.
The business currently has a 15-person team and is moving from its existing storefront into a kitchen with three times the space. With that increased capacity, the business expects to hire more workers.
Supporting Nova Scotia’s Food Economy
School food programs can also have economic benefits. Research cited by CBC News has found that these programs can put more money back into the economy through job creation, stable income for people working in the food industry and reduced stress for parents at work.
As local businesses expand to prepare and deliver more school meals, the program is creating opportunities for employment and investment in food-related businesses across Nova Scotia.
For businesses like Upward Mobility Kitchens and The Lunch Lady, participating in the school lunch program has meant expanding their kitchens, increasing their capacity and preparing for continued growth.
A Pay-What-You-Can Model That Puts Children First
Nova Scotia’s pay-what-you-can approach means families have the option to contribute toward the cost of school meals, while no family is required to pay.
The province spent approximately $80 million on the program in the 2025–26 school year, with the budget increasing to more than $100 million for the 2026–27 school year.
Some of the cost is recovered through family contributions. According to Education Minister Brendan Maguire, approximately $2.45 million was recovered through parent contributions last year.
However, the purpose of the program is not to recover its full cost. As Maguire told CBC News, the priority is making sure that children have access to a healthy meal and have a full belly while they are at school.
Expanding the School Lunch Program Across Nova Scotia
The next stage of Nova Scotia’s school lunch program will bring it to all public schools across the province in the 2026–27 school year.
That expansion will build on a program that is already supporting students and families while creating opportunities for local food businesses and workers.
As the program grows, so too can the benefits throughout Nova Scotia — from healthy meals for students to expanded kitchens, new employment opportunities and increased activity in the local food economy.
Investing in Students Means Investing in Nova Scotia
Every child deserves the opportunity to learn and succeed without having to worry about whether they will have enough food during the school day. At the same time, supporting local businesses and workers helps ensure that the benefits of public investment reach communities across the province.
Nova Scotia’s school lunch program demonstrates how an investment in students can have benefits beyond the classroom — supporting children and families while also helping local businesses expand and create employment opportunities.
As the program expands across Nova Scotia, it will continue to be an important investment in our children, our families and our communities.
Read More
For more details about the growth of local businesses involved in Nova Scotia’s school lunch program, read the full CBC News story.