Nutrition & School Lunch

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
Students eat lunch at Edward A. Reynolds West Side High School in New York on Dec. 10, 2019.
Students eat lunch at Edward A. Reynolds West Side High School in New York City on Dec. 10, 2019.
Seth Wenig/AP
Student Well-Being Free Meals for All Students Is Best Way to Combat Hunger, Report Concludes
Some students say the quality of free meals has declined over the past few years.
Alyson Klein, September 28, 2023
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3 min read
Adult female teacher spends one-on-one time helping a Black female teenage student with her classwork.
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Student Achievement How These Districts Are Using $10,000 to Boost Student Learning
The pilot projects, begun with grants from the National Education Association, aim to curb absenteeism, supply food, and offer tutoring.
Madeline Will, September 25, 2023
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7 min read
Students wrap up their lunch break at Lowell Elementary School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Aug. 22, 2023. Several states are making school breakfasts and lunches permanently free to all students starting this academic year, regardless of family income, and congressional supporters of universal school meals have launched a fresh attempt to extend free meals for all kids nationwide.
Students wrap up their lunch break at Lowell Elementary School in Albuquerque, N.M., on Aug. 22, 2023. Several states are making school breakfasts and lunches permanently free to all students starting this academic year, regardless of family income, and congressional supporters of universal school meals have launched a fresh attempt to extend free meals for all kids nationwide.
Susan Montoya Bryan/AP
Student Well-Being What the Research Says Teachers Say Students Don’t Have Enough Time to Eat Lunch. Here’s How to Change That
The vast majority of teachers warn their students don’t have enough time to actually eat their food.
Sarah D. Sparks & Arianna Prothero, September 20, 2023
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7 min read
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