A survey of the views of school meal program directors, conducted by the School Nutrition Association, has shown support for increased federal funding for school meals and maintenance of current school nutrition standards rather than the Biden-Harris administration’s proposal to bring the standards in line with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
SNA, which represents school meal program directors and the companies that make school food, said that only 17% of respondents said current federal reimbursement rates are sufficient to cover the cost of producing a lunch and that there are still persistent procurement problems for certain foods.
SNA said, “These findings are particularly worrying given proposed federal nutrition standards. USDA is scheduled to release final, much more restrictive, long-term rules for school meals in April 2024. With a lack of any nutrition mandates for dining or retail foods, limited demand for low-sodium and whole-grain products in the retail market leaves many manufacturers and distributors hesitant to prepare and stock specialty items for K-12 customers.”
Read the report at https://schoolnutrition.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-School-Nutrition-Trends-Report.pdf.
SNA added, “Insufficient reimbursements also limit schools’ capacity to offer competitive wages in a tight labor market and sufficiently staff kitchens to increase scratch cooking.”
During the pandemic, Congress made school meals free for all students but has re-established payment requirements for middle- and higher-income students.
“Free and reduced-price meal application forms only collect income data, not expenses, so families struggling with high health care costs, rent increases or other family expenses may not qualify for meal benefits. Meanwhile, some families are hesitant to report personal information required on the application form,” SNA said in a news release.
SNA’s recommendations are contained in its 2024 position paper, which members will bring up to members of Congress when the group holds its annual legislative conference March 2-3 in Washington.