"A recent survey of over 1,170 school nutrition directors found that 69.6% reported insufficient reimbursement rates to cover the cost of school lunches, an increase from 67.4% the previous year."
"More than half of the directors expressed serious concern about the financial sustainability of their school nutrition programs over the next three years, up from 46% the previous year."
"Changes to school lunch funding, particularly the cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, have led to fewer children qualifying for free meals, which reduces the reimbursements schools receive."
"Despite annual increases in meal reimbursements, the financial pressures from rising food costs and reduced eligibility for free meals threaten the viability of school nutrition programs."
Over two-thirds of U.S. public schools report they cannot sustain free meal programs for students. The National School Lunch Program provided 4.8 billion lunches at a cost of $17.7 billion for the 2023-2024 school year. A survey revealed that 69.6% of school nutrition directors find reimbursement rates inadequate, with concerns about financial sustainability increasing. Changes in federal guidelines, including cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, may further reduce reimbursements for schools, exacerbating the issue.
Read at Fortune
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]