Food Program Facts / School Lunch Program

3. How many schools take part?

About 92,500 schools take part in the program. Public or nonprofit private schools of high school grade or under and residential child care institutions are eligible to take part. The program is available in 95 percent of all public schools-representing 98 percent of all public school children. About 59 percent of all public school children participate in the lunch program.

4. What are the funding and participation levels for the NSLP?

For Fiscal Year 1992, Congress has appropriated $3.6 billion for the National School Lunch Program.

5. What is the federal reimbursement to schools for each meal served?

*Each reimbursement figure Includes 14.00 cents per meal in donated commodities; the rest in cash. These rates are effective from July 1, 1991 to June 30, 1992.

6. What types of foods do schools get from USDA?

USDA provides schools in the program with more than 60 different kinds of food, including meats, canned and frozen fruits and vegetables, fruit juices, vegetable shortening, peanut products, vegetable oil, and flour and other grain products. The variety of commodities schools can get from USDA depends on quantities available and market prices.

Food Program Facts / School Lunch Program

7. What additional commodities can schools get from USDA?

Schools are entitled by law to a specified amount of commodity foods, called "entitlement" foods, for each meal they serve. In addition to the per-meal level of commodity assistance, schools can get certain additional price support commodities as needed, if they can be used without waste. These foods are known as "bonus" commodities. This year USDA is offering schools butter, commeal and several other types of food through the bonus commodity program.

8. What are the minimum meal pattern requirements for school lunches? Schools must offer students specific minimum amounts of five food items-meat or meat alternate, bread or bread alternate, milk, and two fruits and/or vegetables-in order to qualify for federal reimbursements. For example, the following minimum amounts for each category meet the meal pattern requirements for all lunches:

One of the main focuses is on serving more nutritious, healthier foods. USDA has been working for several years to reduce the amount of sugar, salt and fat in school lunch. Ground beef provided to the program has less fat, and fruits and vegetables are processed with less sugar and salt. The availability of low-fat products such as fish, ground turkey and part-skim mozzarella cheese has been extended. More whole-grain products have been included. New recipes were provided that emphasized reduction of sugar, salt and fat. Deep frying is discouraged, and more foods are now oven baked. Tropical oils and animal fats have been eliminated.

School lunch history

1932--Some school lunch programs received federal loans and agricultural surpluses. Legislation in 1935 authorized the U.S. Department of Agriculture to purchase surplus farm commodities and distribute them to the school lunch program. By 1939, 900,000 children in 14,000 schools participated in the program. During the late 1930's, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) provided labor for cooking and serving lunches.

1946-The National School Lunch Act was enacted, permanently authorizing the lunch program, establishing a basic meal pattern requirement and requiring schools to serve lunches free or at reduced price to children in need.

1949-Commodity assistance for the lunch program authorized to supplement price support and surplus removal programs.

1962-Funds for free and reduced-price lunches first authorized for schools.

1970-Secretary of Agriculture authorized to set uniform national income poverty guidelines for free and reduced-price eligibility.

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Food Program Facts / School Lunch Program

1975-Offer versus serve mandated in high schools.

1977-Offer versus serve made a local option in junior highs and middle schools.

1981-P.L 97-35 excluded high-tuition private schools from the program, extended offer versus serve as a local option for elementary schools, reduced national average payments for lunches, and tightened income eligibility guidelines for free and reduced-price meals.

1987-P.L. 100-71 eliminated the tuition limitation on private schools.

1989-P.L. 101-147 authorized reimbursement for supplements served in after-school-hours care programs operated by schools participating in The Child and Adult Care Food Program as of May 15, 1989; simplified applications process for free and reduced price meals; authorized local schools to certify children for free meals based on direct contact with Food Stamp/AFDC offices; directed The Department to develop a certified system of Federal/State reviews of local schools; and authorized demonstration projects to test alternatives to traditional meal counting and claiming procedures.

Food Program Facts

Food and Nutrition Service

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Public Information Staff/News Branch 3101 Park Center Drive

Alexandria, VA 22302 (703) 756-3286

THE SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM

October 1991

1. What is the School Breakfast Program?

The School Breakfast Program provides assistance to States to initiate, maintain or expand non-profit breakfast programs in eligible schools and residential child care institutions. In Fiscal Year 1991, the program operated in approximately 46,000 schools and institutions and served a daily average of 4.1 million children. The program is administered at the Federal level by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. State education agencies and local school food authorities administer the program at the local level.

2. What schools and institutions are eligible to participate?

Public or nonprofit private elementary, junior high, or high schools are eligible. Also eligible are public or private nonprofit licensed residential child care institutions. Schools and institutions wishing to join the program must agree to serve breakfasts that meet Federal nutrition standards, and to provide free and reduced-price breakfasts to eligible children.

3. Which children get free or reduced-price breakfasts?

Any child at a participating school may purchase a meal through the School Breakfast Program. By law, any child from a family meeting criteria for eligibility, based on family size and income, may receive a free or reduced-price breakfast. Children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the poverty level ($17,420 for a family of four) are eligible for free meals. Children between 130 percent and 185 percent of the poverty level ($24,790 for a family of four) are eligible for reducedprice meals. Children from families over 185 percent of poverty pay a regular price for their subsidized meals.

Following are the annual income guidelines for the continental U.S., effective from July 1, 1991 to June 30, 1992:

Individual schols within a school food authority are eligible for severe-need funding If 40 percent or more of their lunches were served free or at a reduced priceduring the second preceding year, and if preparation costs exceed the regular breakfast reimbursement. "Severe need” reimbursements are available only for free and reduced-price breakfasts. Currently, nearly 60 percent of the breakfasts served in participating schools receive the severe-need subsidy.

5. What is the Federal reimbursement?

Under Federal law, schools may not charge students who qualify for free breakfasts. It is literally meant to be "free" to the student. The 1991-92 school year Federal reimbursement rate is 92.75 cents per meal for free breakfasts, 62.75 cents for reduced-price breakfasts, and 18.50 cents for paid breakfasts. For schools in "severe need" the payments are 110.25 cents for free breakfasts, ε 25 cents for reduced-price breakfasts, and 18.50 cents for paid breakfasts. There is no limit placed on the amount a school may charge for breakfasts served to paying students -- those from families with incomes above 185 percent of poverty.