Nutrition & School Lunch

Image of school lunch - Then and now
Liz Yap/Education Week with iStock/Getty and Canva
Federal Then & Now Will RFK Jr. Reheat the School Lunch Wars?
Trump's ally has said he wants to remove processed foods from school meals. That's not as easy as it sounds.
Evie Blad, December 17, 2024
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6 min read
Cafeteria workers serve student lunches at Firebaugh High School in Lynwood, Calif. on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Demand for school lunches has increased after California guaranteed free meals to all students regardless of their family's income.
Cafeteria workers serve lunches at Firebaugh High School in Lynwood, Calif., on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Demand for school lunches has increased after California guaranteed free meals to all students regardless of their family's income. A federal school lunch provision that makes it easier for public schools to provide universal free meals may be a target for elimination in President-elect Donald Trump's upcoming term if some conservative activists and lawmakers get their way.
Richard Vogel/AP
Federal How Trump Could Roll Back Access to Free School Lunches
Project 2025 and a GOP budget proposal call for axing a federal rule that allows public schools to serve free meals to all students.
Evie Blad, November 26, 2024
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5 min read
TIghtly cropped photograph showing a cafeteria worker helping elementary students select food in lunch line. Food shown include pizza, apples, and broccoli.
iStock/Getty
Budget & Finance No More School Lunch Fees for Low-Income Families, USDA Says
Districts have until 2027 to eliminate processing fees for students who get reduced-price meals.
Madeline Will & Brooke Schultz, November 7, 2024
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3 min read
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz gets a huge hug from students at Webster Elementary after he signed into law a bill that guarantees free school meals, (breakfast and lunch) for every student in Minnesota's public and charter schools in Minneapolis, on March 17, 2023.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz gets a hug from students at Webster Elementary School in Minneapolis on March 17, 2023, after he signed into law a bill that guarantees free school meals for every student in Minnesota's public and charter schools. Free school meals have become a campaign issue since Walz was named Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate on the Democratic ticket.
Elizabeth Flores/Minneapolis Star Tribune via TNS
Student Well-Being How Free School Meals Became an Issue Animating the 2024 Election
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has highlighted his state's law to provide free school meals to all students as he campaigns for vice president.
Libby Stanford, September 4, 2024
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6 min read
Illustration of a big business man's hand holding a magnet attracting money from a line up of diverse peoples' wallets.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management When Schools Charge for Meals and Field Trips, Parents Often Pay Transaction Fees
Paying bills online is easy, but comes at a significant cost for low-income families in particular, a new federal report shows.
Mark Lieberman, July 30, 2024
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5 min read
Susan Maffe, director of Food and Nutrition Services for Meriden Public Schools, hands a hot dog and vegetable packs to Saviyon Cole, 6 of Meriden, Conn., during the Local Food Taste Tests and Free Summer Meals event at the Meriden Green, Tuesday, July 19, 2022.
Susan Maffe, the director of food and nutrition services for the Meriden district in Connecticut, hands a hot dog and vegetable packs to Saviyon Cole, 6, during a local event July 19, 2022. Due to change in federal rules, students are now required to eat school meals on site, regardless of the weather.
Dave Zajac/AP
Student Well-Being Why Free Meal Programs Are Having a Tough Time Feeding Kids This Summer
Federally sponsored summer meal programs require children to eat on site, but what happens in a heat wave?
Annie Goldman, June 27, 2024
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5 min read
Conceptual school lunch on tray in blues and reds.
Concept by Liz Yap/Education Week (Images: iStock/Getty)
Student Well-Being New School Lunch Rules Will Change Menus. (Chocolate Milk Still Allowed)
Newly unveiled school meal rules will limit sodium and added sugar.
Evie Blad, April 24, 2024
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3 min read
Workflow, Teamwork, Education concept. Team, people, colleagues in company, organization, administrative community. Corporate work, partnership and study.
Paper Trident/iStock
School & District Management Opinion 3 Steps for Culturally Competent Education Outside the Classroom
It’s not just all on teachers; the front office staff has a role to play in making schools more equitable.
Allyson Taylor, April 15, 2024
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5 min read
Third graders have lunch outdoors at Highland Elementary School in Columbus, Kan., on Oct. 17, 2022.
Third graders have lunch outdoors at Highland Elementary School in Columbus, Kan., on Oct. 17, 2022.
Charlie Riedel/AP
Student Well-Being The Surprising Connection Between Universal School Meals and Student Discipline
Giving all students free school meals can help nurture a positive school climate by eliminating the stigma around poverty.
Arianna Prothero, April 12, 2024
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6 min read
Lunch hour at the St. Michael-Albertville Middle School West in Albertville, Minn.
Students share a laugh together during lunch hour at the St. Michael-Albertville Middle School West in Albertville, Minn.
Courtesy of Lynn Jennissen
School & District Management How Principals Use the Lunch Hour to Target Student Apathy
School leaders want to trigger the connection between good food, fun, and rewards.
Olina Banerji, April 12, 2024
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5 min read
Conceptual school lunch on tray in blues and reds.
Concept by Liz Yap/Education Week (Images: iStock/Getty)
Student Well-Being Q&A Universal Free School Meals Might Improve Discipline Rates. Here's How
The way schools distribute free and reduced-price meals can cause stigma and increased disciplinary issues.
Arianna Prothero, January 31, 2024
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4 min read
Bell Beverage owner Frank Bell, rear left, watches as employee Anthony Casalena loads chromebooks onto one of their trucks to deliver to district schools, at School District Headquarters in Philadelphia on April 6, 2020.
Bell Beverage owner Frank Bell, rear left, watches as employee Anthony Casalena loads Chromebooks onto one of their trucks to deliver to district schools at School District Headquarters in Philadelphia on April 6, 2020. Fewer districts are reporting difficulty securing laptops due to supply chain disruptions.
Jessica Griffin/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP
School & District Management Schools Can More Easily Get Food, Laptops as Supply Chain Problems Fade
Fewer schools report difficulty securing crucial goods because of global supply chain logjams.
Mark Lieberman, January 22, 2024
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2 min read
Salina Sanchez gives free lunches to Damien Chavez, right, and Umar Kotroo at Wheel Park in Aurora, Colo., on June 6, 2019. The Aurora Public Schools takes free summer lunches to children on colorful, hand-painted school buses. The USDA's new Summer EBT program will help families cover the costs of meals during the summer months.
Salina Sanchez gives free lunches to Damien Chavez, right, and Umar Kotroo at Wheel Park in Aurora, Colo., on June 6, 2019. The Aurora Public Schools takes free summer lunches to children on colorful, hand-painted school buses. The new Summer EBT program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide $120 per child in grocery benefits to families with children who qualify for free and reduced-price lunch during the school year. But 15 states aren't participating in the program's first year.
Philip B. Poston/The Aurora Sentinel via AP
Student Well-Being A New Federal Summer Food Program Targets Child Hunger. Why Are 15 States Opting Out?
Summer EBT could be a game changer for families facing food insecurity, childhood hunger experts say, but millions of kids won't benefit.
Libby Stanford, January 12, 2024
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7 min read
School cook Renee Stanford, left, restocks food items in a heated display during lunch break at Tonalea K-8 school in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Dec. 12, 2022. Funding, labor and supply shortages have limited the school district's ability to cook and serve fresh food, making it more reliant on prepackaged, ready-to-eat items.
School cook Renee Stanford, left, restocks food items in a heated display during lunch break at Tonalea K-8 school in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Dec. 12, 2022.
Alberto Mariani/AP
School & District Management Why It's Getting More Expensive to Feed Kids at School
The School Nutrition Association's annual survey finds that rising food prices and staffing shortages are challenging school meal services.
Arianna Prothero, January 9, 2024
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3 min read
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