Contact: Diane Pratt-Heavner, 703-576-7526, media@schoolnutrition.org
ARLINGTON, VA – The non-profit School Nutrition Association (SNA) praised USDA’s release of much needed funds for school meal programs. As schools struggle to manage persistently high costs since the lapse of pandemic funding, SNA has urged Congress to increase federal reimbursements for school meals.
As part of a broader funding package, USDA announced the release of $500 million in Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funds to support the purchase locally sourced foods for school meals.
“School nutrition professionals greatly appreciate Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s recognition of the need to provide greater financial support to school meal programs as they work to ensure America’s students are fueled for success,” said SNA President Shannon Gleave, RDN, SNS. “These funds will connect more students with nutritious, locally grown foods while helping offset costs for school meal programs squeezed by tight budgets.”
SNA’s 2024 School Nutrition Trends Survey of school meal program directors revealed:
- Virtually all (99.3%) school meal programs are challenged by rising costs.
- Just 17% of respondents indicated the federal reimbursement rate is sufficient to cover the cost of producing a lunch.
- When asked about the financial sustainability of their programs in just three years, 91.6% of directors flagged concerns.
To ensure the long-term sustainability of school meal programs and support student achievement, SNA’s 2024 Position Paper urges Congress to increase federal school meal reimbursement rates and offer healthy school meals to all students at no charge.
About School Nutrition Association:
The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is a national, non-profit professional organization representing 50,000 school nutrition professionals across the country. Founded in 1946, SNA and its members are dedicated to making healthy school meals and nutrition education available to all students. For more information on school meals, visit http://www.SchoolNutrition.org/SchoolMeals.
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