Chiayi County Considers Expanding Free School Lunch Program to Include Private Middle Schools
Chiayi County Government is considering expanding its free nutritious lunch program, set to start in September 2025, to include students from private Xie Tong Middle School and Chiayi Science Park Experimental High School's middle school division. The expansion would require an additional NT$19 million annually and is under negotiation with Chiayi City.
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- 📰 Published: June 9, 2026 at 15:52
- 🔍 Collected: June 9, 2026 at 16:08 (16 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 9, 2026 at 16:09 (0 min after Collected)
(Central News Agency reporter Cai Zhiming, Chiayi County, 9th) Starting this September, Chiayi County will implement free nutritious lunches for students in county-run schools under the 9-year compulsory education system. However, students at the private Xie Tong Middle School and the Chiayi Science Park Experimental High School's middle school division have not yet been included. The Education Department stated today that it has calculated the costs and is considering subsidies.
Independent Chiayi County Councilor He Zifan questioned during a regular council meeting today, pointing out that the free nutritious lunch program does not include students from Xie Tong Middle School's junior high division. Although many of Xie Tong's students are residents of Chiayi City, several hundred are registered in Chiayi County, and he hopes the county government will provide subsidies for them as well.
Yen Ting-yu, Deputy Director of the Chiayi County Education Department, told CNA that the subsidy amounts for Xie Tong Middle School and Chiayi Science Park Experimental High School have been calculated, requiring an annual subsidy of over NT$19 million. The county government is currently coordinating with Chiayi City; if both the county and city agree to subsidize nutritious lunches for private middle school students, the plan will be implemented.
Yen said the free lunch policy is expected to benefit approximately 26,000 people. Based on a subsidy of NT$62 per meal per person and 200 meal days per year, the policy will add approximately NT$322.4 million in annual recurring expenses. This figure does not include the estimated NT$19 million subsidy for the two national and private schools.
Regarding this matter, the Chiayi City Education Department stated that its subsidy for public school nutritious lunches already includes the National Chiayi University Affiliated Experimental Elementary School, and subsidies for private middle schools have been included in the supplementary budget. (Editor: Zhang Mingkun) 1150609
Independent Chiayi County Councilor He Zifan questioned during a regular council meeting today, pointing out that the free nutritious lunch program does not include students from Xie Tong Middle School's junior high division. Although many of Xie Tong's students are residents of Chiayi City, several hundred are registered in Chiayi County, and he hopes the county government will provide subsidies for them as well.
Yen Ting-yu, Deputy Director of the Chiayi County Education Department, told CNA that the subsidy amounts for Xie Tong Middle School and Chiayi Science Park Experimental High School have been calculated, requiring an annual subsidy of over NT$19 million. The county government is currently coordinating with Chiayi City; if both the county and city agree to subsidize nutritious lunches for private middle school students, the plan will be implemented.
Yen said the free lunch policy is expected to benefit approximately 26,000 people. Based on a subsidy of NT$62 per meal per person and 200 meal days per year, the policy will add approximately NT$322.4 million in annual recurring expenses. This figure does not include the estimated NT$19 million subsidy for the two national and private schools.
Regarding this matter, the Chiayi City Education Department stated that its subsidy for public school nutritious lunches already includes the National Chiayi University Affiliated Experimental Elementary School, and subsidies for private middle schools have been included in the supplementary budget. (Editor: Zhang Mingkun) 1150609
FAQ
Who is eligible for Chiayi County's free lunch policy?
Starting September 2025, approximately 26,000 students in county-run middle schools are eligible.
When will the subsidy for private schools be decided?
It is expected to be decided once coordination with Chiayi City is complete.
What is the subsidy amount per meal?
The subsidy is NT$62 per meal per person.