Mykolaiv is short of ₴149 million for school meals: the city council will seek funding from the Cabinet of Ministers and the Verkhovna Rada

Mykolaiv City Council. Illustrative photo from open sources

Mykolaiv City Council will appeal to the Cabinet of Ministers and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine regarding the allocation of additional funds from the state budget. The appeal is due to a shortfall of 149.5 million hryvnias for meals for children in nurseries, schools and technical colleges.

This is stated in a draft resolution published on the Mykolaiv City Council website, NikVesti reports.

The explanatory note states that the draft resolution was prepared by the Mykolaiv City Council’s Department of Education. Councillors plan to appeal to the Cabinet of Ministers and the Verkhovna Rada, as the city budget lacks the funds to provide meals for children in nurseries and schools.

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The draft resolution was only published on the City Council’s website on 27 May. It has not been considered by the City Budget Committee or the Committee on Legal Affairs. The information was noted by the Land Committee. The draft resolution may be put to a vote at the session.

«As of 1 June 2026, the budget of the Mykolaiv City Territorial Community will lack sufficient financial resources to fully cover the costs of providing meals in educational institutions in the city of Mykolaiv. The total shortfall for these needs in 2026 amounts to 149.5 million hryvnias,» the explanatory note states.

It is noted that the largest item of additional expenditure is on meals in nurseries. This is explained by the fact that, following the return of children to nurseries in 2023, the city budget’s requirements for providing meals for children have increased. Every year, the number of children for whom meals are either free or provided on preferential terms is growing.

The Department of Education notes that, due to a lack of funds, it will be unable to conclude a contract for the provision of meals in nurseries by the end of the year, organise free one-off hot meals in schools from 1 September, or ensure the payment of meal allowances from 1 June to students at vocational institutions who are fully state-supported and have guardians.

The statement also refers to the fact that the city budget has lost part of its personal income tax revenue, which is cited as the main source of budget income.

«As a result of changes to budgetary legislation and the removal of personal income tax from the salaries of military personnel and law enforcement officers, the budget of the Mykolaiv City Territorial Community has lost approximately 26% of its total personal income tax revenue. Furthermore, as a result of the full-scale armed aggression, the number of taxpayers within the community has significantly decreased,» the explanatory note states.

Councillors will ask the Cabinet of Ministers and the Verkhovna Rada to consider the possibility of providing an additional subsidy from the state budget to Mykolaiv City Council to organise meals for children in educational institutions.

Explanatory note to the City Council’s appeal. Screenshot from the document

As a reminder, the number of first-year pupils in Mykolaiv has fallen by 45% compared to pre-war years. The Mykolaiv Department of Education expects 2,500 first-year pupils as of 1 September.