Governor Josh Shapiro was highlighting his proposal for free breakfast in schools while on a visit to an elementary school in Montgomery County on Thursday. A universal free breakfast program is part of his proposed budget.

In comments about his proposal, Shapiro noted that more than 325,000 students in Pennsylvania were dealing with food insecurity in 2021.

Shapiro’s plan would see $38.5 million earmarked for students to receive free breakfast, regardless of income.

Watch — PA Cast: Governor Shapiro Highlights Universal Free Breakfast Proposal for Pennsylvania Students in Visit to Montgomery County Elementary School

The governor visited the Montgomery County school because of the free breakfast program that’s already underway there.

“When you talk to the kids coming through the line, they really appreciate it. They know they can focus better on a full stomach. The problem is this is kind of the anomaly. Most school districts don’t do this. We need to have universal free breakfast. That’s why I put it in my budget and why I’m working together with Democrats and Republicans to get this budget passed with universal free breakfast,” Governor Shapiro said.

If approved, the universal free breakfast program would make breakfast available to nearly 1.74 million children statewide.