Fukuoka City to Provide Free School Meals

FUKUOKA, Jan 23 (News On Japan) - Details of Fukuoka City's budget plan for the upcoming fiscal year have been revealed, highlighting new initiatives such as making school lunches free for elementary and junior high school students within the next year.

According to sources, the city’s initial general account budget is projected to reach a record 1.1 trillion yen to 1.13 trillion yen, marking the fifth consecutive year it has exceeded 1 trillion yen.

Among the new measures is the elimination of school lunch fees for students at city-run elementary and junior high schools. Currently, the monthly cost of school lunches is 4,200 yen for elementary schools and 5,000 yen for junior high schools. Mayor Takashima has previously expressed a commitment to implementing this initiative.

The budget also includes expanded child support, such as adding checkups for one-month-old and five-year-old children to the city’s existing infant health programs.

Additionally, the budget outlines other projects, including the expansion of ticket gates at Tojinmachi Station on the Fukuoka City Subway. This aims to ease congestion during events at the PayPay Dome.

The plan also features the installation of air conditioning in gymnasiums at city-run elementary and junior high schools, further enhancing the learning environment for students.

Source: FBS

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