The record also specified that families would not be billed for the remainder of the school year.
This official document is especially valuable because it is not a retrospective social-media anecdote. It is a dated municipal record showing that the arrangement was still operating 14 years after the original win.
Later reporting indicates that the donations continued through the following years, reaching approximately 17 years of sustained support by 2026.
Why Some Reports Say 16 Years and Others Say 17
The difference is largely a matter of publication date and counting method.
The first free-meal program began in the 2009–2010 school year. A post published before completion of the 2025–2026 school year might describe the support as lasting 16 years. Reports published later in 2026 commonly call it a 17-year commitment.
The important point is not whether a headline counts 16 or 17 school years. The documented record shows that the family repeatedly financed the program from its beginning in 2009 through the mid-2020s.
A social-media image stating that the donors fed local pupils for 16 years is therefore broadly credible, although a current article should explain that more recent reporting places the total at roughly 17 years.
The Contribution Changes in 2026
By 2026, Saint-Michel’s school facilities required significant improvements.
The primary-school dining room needed work involving acoustics, temperature control and comfort during increasingly hot weather. Mayor Fabienne Godichaud said the school buildings no longer satisfied modern expectations in those areas.
The anonymous family once again agreed to help.
Instead of using that year’s approximately €80,000 contribution entirely to eliminate meal charges, the municipality planned to direct it toward investment in the school and dining facilities.
This change meant the canteen would no longer be completely free for families. Beginning with the new school year, parents were expected to pay a highly subsidized price of €1.50 per meal.
The money was therefore not disappearing. It was being redirected from day-to-day meal costs toward infrastructure intended to serve children and staff over a longer period.
Contemporary reporting describes acoustic and air-conditioning improvements and modernization of the school restaurant. It does not clearly establish that the entire canteen is being demolished and rebuilt.
The more accurate English wording is that the family is helping renovate or modernize the school canteen.
Was the Jackpot Really $58 Million?
The original prize was €50 million.
English-language posts frequently call it $58 million, presumably by converting euros into U.S. dollars. But exchange rates change constantly, and €50 million would produce different dollar figures depending on the date selected.
Using a converted figure without mentioning the original currency makes the claim appear more exact than it is.
The safest formulation is:
In March 2009, a family in Saint-Michel won €50 million in the EuroMillions lottery—an amount sometimes converted in viral posts to approximately $58 million.