Until now, free meals in Ukrainian schools were guaranteed only to certain categories — younger classes and children from eligible groups. Extending it across all eleven years removes the division between those whose lunch is paid for and those who pay themselves.

This was announced by Bucha City Council.

The same central kitchen will do the cooking

Meals in the community will continue to be provided by the municipal enterprise Hotuyimo Central Kitchen. This is the same facility Bucha shows investors as an example of reconstruction: a centralised catering hub cooks for schools and kindergartens instead of each institution running its own kitchen.

The central kitchen model gives the community control over quality and cost: procurement is centralised, the menu is the same across schools, and an individual school needs no kitchen staff of its own.

From 120 seats to 250

Refurbishment of the canteen has begun at Bucha Lyceum No. 9. The number of seats will rise from 120 to 250 — more than double.

The reason is purely practical: when every class receives a free lunch, the existing canteen can no longer handle the flow. The council explains that the expansion will let meals be served faster, without stretching across several school breaks.

What this means for families

For a family with two schoolchildren, scrapping lunch fees means several thousand hryvnias a month staying in the household budget. For a community rebuilding housing and infrastructure at the same time, it is a deliberate expenditure on keeping families in town.

Work at Lyceum No. 9 continues; the council promises to report separately on wider preparations for the new school year.