Espírito Santo legislature approves school meals for teachers

The Legislative Assembly of Espírito Santo has approved Bill No. 518/2026, which grants state public school teachers the right to access school meals. The legislation, authored by deputies Fabrício Gandini and Marcelo Santos, aims to benefit approximately 20,000 professionals.

Under the approved text, teachers in active service will have access to the same menu, schedules, and nutritional standards provided to students. Crucially, the law stipulates that this benefit cannot result in any reduction, discount, or removal of the teachers' existing food allowance (ticket).

To ensure that student nutrition is not compromised, the state government must allocate specific budgetary resources to cover the costs of teacher meals. The law prohibits the use of funds exclusively earmarked for students, such as those from the National School Feeding Program (PNAE), for this purpose. The bill now moves to Governor Ricardo Ferraço for sanction or veto; if signed, it will take effect 90 days after official publication.