Education Funding

Feds Pump $1.5 Billion Extra Toward Schools to Address Cafeteria Food Shortage

By Mark Lieberman — September 29, 2021 1 min read
Empty school cafeteria
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The federal government will invest up to $1.5 billion this year to help school cafeterias struggling to feed students under the weight of supply chain disruptions, funding challenges, and staffing shortages caused by the pandemic.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday that the emergency funds will help schools more easily acquire U.S.-grown food supplies they need to serve healthy meals on a daily basis. The funds will also “enhance the toolbox for school nutrition professionals working hard to make sure students have reliable access to healthy meals,” according to the department’s news release.

The newly announced investment builds on more than a year of relaxed regulations designed to help schools to assemble and deliver more free meals and more off-site meals during extended periods of school building closures wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this month, to account for widespread supply shortages in a variety of food groups, the agriculture agency waived financial punishments for school meals that fail to meet certain nutritional guidelines. The federal government is also reimbursing schools for free meals at a higher rate than usual.

The School Nutrition Association, which represents school food directors nationwide, issued a statement Wednesday praising the Department of Agriculture for being “extremely responsive” amid a series of overlapping crises that shows no immediate signs of abating.

“We will continue to work with USDA and Congress to address the urgent needs of school meal programs, so critical to student achievement and wellness,” the statement said.

See Also

Stacked Red Cafeteria trays in a nearly empty lunch room.
iStock/Getty Images Plus

The push since last year for universal free school meals has prompted calls from advocates and politicians to permanently extend those programs. At the same time, a cascade of logistical headaches at every level of the food preparation and distribution process is straining school workers and district budgets.

Some schools are contemplating returning to remote learning and urging parents to pack students’ lunches while these problems continue. In a handful of cases, students have gone hungry during the school day.

Related Tags:

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Spark Minds, Reignite Students & Teachers: STEM’s Role in Supporting Presence and Engagement
Is your district struggling with chronic absenteeism? Discover how STEM can reignite students' and teachers' passion for learning.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
Recruitment & Retention Webinar EdRecruiter 2025 Survey Results: The Outlook for Recruitment and Retention
See exclusive findings from EdWeek’s nationwide survey of K-12 job seekers and district HR professionals on recruitment, retention, and job satisfaction. 
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Funding Rural Schools Are Set to Lose Key Federal Funds—Unless Congress Acts Fast
Thousands of districts near national forest land could lose money as the Secure Rural Schools Act expires.
7 min read
Image of a student about to board a school bus in the morning.
iStock/Getty
Education Funding Public Schools by the Numbers: How Enrollment, Funding, and More Changed in 2024
K-12 enrollment is dropping, funding is lagging economic growth, and other takeaways from newly available data.
4 min read
An illustration of a man standing on top of a large division symbol. There are a couple of coins on each of the circular parts of the division symbol and the man is holding a briefcase in one hand and looking through a magnifying glass with the other hand.
DigitalVision Vectors
Education Funding Will Trump Cut Climate Funds for Schools? Here's What Could Happen
Tax credits for energy-efficient HVAC systems and electric school buses could go away once Republicans take control of Congress.
8 min read
A close up photograph of an electric school bus charging at a charging station.
iStock/Getty
Education Funding Trump's Plans Would Disrupt Funding for Schools. What Would It Look Like?
School districts are bracing for a period of fiscal turbulence and whiplash that could strain their efforts to meet students’ complex needs.
12 min read
Image of a student desk sitting on top of a pile of books
Collage via iStock/Getty