$2 million boost for school food program on Tuckshop Day

• Extra $2 million for state schools to establish or enhance school food programs
• 861 schools across Queensland to benefit from the funding boost
• The cost-of-living measure to help support Queensland families is on top of the $2.7 million earmarked in the 2023/24 State Budget for the school breakfast program

Education Minister Grace Grace has announced a $2 million boost to school food programs on Tuckshop Day (Friday 3 November).

Minister Grace announced the new funding at the official opening of Gumdale State School’s newly upgraded hall and refurbished tuckshop, which have been partly funded through the Palaszczuk Government’s School Subsidy Program.

The $2 million initiative announced today will support 861 state schools to establish new food programs or enhance existing food programs.

Schools with the highest level of need have been prioritised under the initiative, with an increased payment for schools categorised as remote or very remote.

Under the initiative $500,000 has been set aside for grants of up to $20,000 for external food providers, such as registered charities, to provide food services direct to schools.

The extra funding announced today is in addition to the additional $2.7 million announced in the 2023/24 State Budget for the government’s successful school breakfast program.

All up, the Palaszczuk Government is investing a record $8.2 billion in 2023/24 to help ease cost of living pressure for Queensland families.

The 2023/24 State Budget also includes $29 million to fund improvements and upgrades to playgrounds and tuckshops at state schools throughout Queensland.

To date, 150 schools have received funding through the Playgrounds and Tuckshops Upgrade program.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Education Grace Grace:

“We know the positive impact healthy eating can have on a student’s performance at school.

“That’s why we’re putting an additional $2 million on the table to further assist state schools who already do a great job providing food support, including breakfast programs.

“We’re also investing in new and improved tuckshops throughout Queensland and there’s no better example of this than the new Gumdale State School Tuckshop.

“On Tuckshop Day, I want to give a big thank you to all the tuckshop workers, volunteers and convenors in Queensland schools for their outstanding work they do to keep our children fed, watered and ready to learn.”

Further infomation:

For more information on the $2 million school food program funding boost, visit https://education.qld.gov.au/students/student-health-safety-wellbeing/student-health/school-food-programs

Gumdale State School Upgrade Fast Facts

Delivered under the School Subsidy Scheme, the Department of Education together with Gumdale State School made co-contributions to deliver the $702,000 hall and tuckshop upgrade.

The project includes an upgrade to one of the sections of the school hall, to refurbish the kitchen into a tuckshop, create a uniform shop and operations office.

Media contact – Martin Philip – 0407 675 008