The Regional Ministry of Education and Universitiesthrough its Autonomous Secretariat of Educational Development, has approved the dining room and food subsidies for Primary and Secondary students in the Balearic Islands. Balearic Islands during the academic year 2024-2025. In total, 8.58 million euros will be allocated to cover the costs of canteen and food in schools, of which 8.4 million will be for canteen aid in Primary and 161,370 euros for food for Secondary students. In primary schools, the canteen subsidies will cover 11,565 students out of the 17,055 applications submitted, while in the case of secondary schools, 225 of the 281 applications for food subsidies were accepted. The Conselleria considers that these grants represent an important advance in equal opportunities for families with fewer resources, ensuring that students have access to a balanced diet during the school year.
Items available for future modifications
Despite the high demand, part of the allocated budget is still available: of the 9.5 million euros foreseen for canteen and 500,000 euros for food, the total allocation has not been exhausted. Therefore, the Conselleria plans to review the requirements for future calls for applications and to study possible increases in the allocations for the next school years. In addition, part of the available remainder has been redirected to increase by 300,000 euros the school funds for social emergency, an item that seeks to address emergency situations in terms of food and other needs for students of public schools in the Balearic Islands.
School menu costs 2024-2025: relief for vulnerable families
The dining room subsidies will be applied with the maximum daily price approved this year by the Govern, which establishes a rate of 6.85 euros per day for regular users of the service and 7.55 euros for eventual users in public centers. This scheme has made it possible to reduce the cost of menus for families who qualify as beneficiaries, with a direct impact on access to food for students in vulnerable situations.
