16 Agenda Items Discussed at the Educational Administration Council… Free School Meal Unit Cost Raised by an Average of 15%

Daejeon City held the "2026 Educational Administration Council" on the 23rd at the City Hall's Medium Meeting Room with the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education to discuss cooperation on educational policies and improvements to educational conditions, ultimately agreeing on 16 agenda items, including an increase in the unit cost of free meals for elementary, middle, and high school students.

The council was attended by co-chairs Daejeon Mayor Heo Tae-jung and Daejeon Superintendent of Education Oh Seok-jin, as well as city council members and officials from both organizations.

During this council, a total of 16 agenda items—5 proposed by the city and 11 proposed by the Office of Education—were discussed. An agreement was reached to reflect approximately 98.8% (311.4 billion won) of the Office of Education's requested amount of 315.2 billion won in project funding.

Major agenda items include:

▲ Budget allocation for statutory transfers for fiscal year 2027
▲ Support for elementary, middle, and high school free meal costs
▲ Support for early childhood education fees for private kindergarten students
▲ Support for operating costs for kindergarten and elementary after-school care classes
▲ Support for elementary survival swimming education

For the 2027 statutory transfers, it was agreed to allocate 246.1 billion won, an increase of approximately 17 billion won compared to the previous year, reflecting local tax revenue budget projections.

In particular, the unit cost for food in elementary, middle, and high school free meals will be raised by an average of 15%, elevating the support level from the lowest in the nation to the top tier among special and metropolitan cities. A total of 56.5 billion won will be provided based on the 2026 standard to support students' healthy growth and improve meal quality.

For private kindergarten education fees, the current support unit cost of 130,000 won per month per child will be maintained for parents of children aged 3 to 5 attending private kindergartens, aiming to ease parents' educational expense burdens.

In addition, to ensure student safety and expand educational opportunities, 525 million won will be provided for elementary survival swimming education and 500 million won for kindergarten and elementary care class operations. Various educational cooperation programs will also be promoted, such as global field trip programs for specialized high school students and career and vocational programs tailored to each autonomous district.

However, it was agreed that student uniform purchase subsidies will remain at the current level of 300,000 won per person, while certain projects, such as the construction of eco-friendly athletic fields, will be discussed further at a later date considering financial conditions.

Meanwhile, following the conclusion of the Educational Administration Council, Daejeon City and the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education signed a business agreement to expand school meal support and strengthen cooperation. Through this agreement, both organizations plan to provide safer and higher-quality meals to students and continuously cooperate for the development of school meals.

"Education is the most important investment for the region's future," said Daejeon Mayor Heo Tae-jung. "We will work closely with the Office of Education to alleviate the educational expense burden on parents and do our utmost to ensure students grow in a safe and high-quality educational environment."

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]