USDA Funding Will Continue to Support School Meals

Last week, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the agency made an adjustment in school meal reimbursements to help schools continue to serve children healthy meals. The move will add an estimated $750 million more into school meal programs across the nation. The goal is to make sure that federal reimbursements keep pace with food and operational costs, while ensuring children can continue to get healthy meals at school.

“USDA understands that balancing the pressures of COVID-19 with the need to feed children nutritious meals continue to be a priority for schools across the country,” Vilsack said.

School lunch reimbursement rates don’t typically increase during the school year. However, because of COVID, USDA allowed schools to benefit from the highest rates available, which are typically reserved for USDA’s Summer Food Service Program. The adjustment will help ensure that the purchasing power of schools can keep pace with the cost of living.

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