Appendix 9: Federal school meal programs National School Lunch Program The National School Lunch Program (NSLP), the first school meal program in the United States, was established under the National School Lunch Act, which was signed into law by President Harry Truman in 1946.1 In 2014, almost seventy years later:
• •
30.3 million U.S. children are enrolled in NSLP. In Prince George’s County, almost 80,000 students participate in NSLP.
Free and Reduced-Price Meals The Free and Reduced-Price Meals (F.A.R.M.) program strives to provide nutritionally balanced meals for children eligible to receive breakfast and lunch for free or at a reduced price.2 Family income levels determine the children’s eligibility, as shown below.3, 4
• Free meals: Children from families with incomes ≤130 percent of the poverty level. • Reduced-price meals (maximum 40 cents): Children from families with incomes •
between 130 and 185 percent of the poverty level. Full-price meals: Children from families with incomes >185 percent of the poverty level.
All meals are subsidized, including the full-price meals to some extent, through state and federal funds. Some of the funding is used to purchase commodity foods through Schools/Child Nutrition USDA Foods Program.5,6 The cost of full-price meals are set by local school food authorities. The following table includes the cost of PGCPS reduced-price and full-price meals for students.
Reduced-price and paid meal prices in PGCPS, for the 2014–2015 school year. Reduced-price meals cost Full-price meals price cost for Meal type for students students Student Breakfast Elementary Lunch Secondary Lunch
$0.30 $0.40 $0.40
$1.50 $2.60 $2.85
Source: PGCPS Food and Nutrition Services.
USDA Food and Nutrition Services (FNS). National School Lunch Program. www.fns.usda.gov USDA FNS. Applying for free and reduced-price meals. www.fns.usda.gov 3 USDA FNS. National School Lunch Program Fact Sheet. Between July 1, 2013, to June 30, 2014, 130 percent of the poverty level is $30,615 for a family of four; 185 percent is $43,568. 4 For reimbursement rates, see the FNS web site: www.fns.usda.gov 5 USDA FNS. Food distribution: Schools/CN USDA Foods Program. www.fns.usda.gov 6 Food Research & Action Center. Commodity foods and the nutritional quality of the National School Lunch Program. http://frac.org Agricultural commodities are unprocessed and partially processed foods that USDA buys in bulk and makes available for school meals. The monetary value of these commodities is at least 12 percent of total federal funding (and up to 20 percent if personnel and other costs are not included). 1 2
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