The National School Lunch Program (NSLP), a critical initiative by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has been providing vital nutritional support to children for decades. Operating across nearly 100,000 public and non-profit private schools and residential child care institutions, the NSLP ensures access to low-cost or free lunches for students from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. In Fiscal Year 2023, this program delivered 4.6 billion lunches, amounting to a total expenditure of $17.2 billion, underscoring its massive scale and impact.
Bar and line chart showing National School Lunch Program lunches served and percent free or reduced-price for fiscal years 1971 through 2023.
Administered by USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), the NSLP functions on a reimbursement basis, supporting participating institutions for each meal served. Eligibility for these meals is structured around household income levels relative to the Federal poverty line, ensuring that assistance reaches those who need it most. Children from households at or below 130 percent of the poverty line are eligible for free lunches, while those between 130 and 185 percent can receive reduced-price lunches. Students from households above 185 percent of the poverty line can still participate by purchasing low-cost, full-price lunches. This tiered system aims to capture a wide range of needs and provide support across different levels of economic vulnerability.
The years 2019-2020 marked a significant period for the USDA child care food program, particularly with the onset of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the latter half of FY 2020. This unprecedented global health crisis profoundly disrupted the established mechanisms of meal provision within the NSLP. School closures and operational limitations became widespread as authorities worked to contain the virus, directly impacting the regular delivery of school lunches.
In response to these disruptions and the escalating food insecurity among families during the pandemic, the USDA implemented crucial waivers. These waivers were designed to introduce flexibilities into the NSLP, enabling schools and child care institutions to adapt to the rapidly changing circumstances. A key measure was the expansion of the Seamless Summer Option (SSO), a program intended to maintain nutritional support for children during the summer months when school is typically out of session. The SSO became a vital tool for ensuring continuous access to meals even when traditional school operations were suspended.
Another significant initiative during this period was the creation of the temporary Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program. P-EBT was specifically designed to compensate families of children eligible for free or reduced-price school meals for the value of the meals they missed due to pandemic-related school closures and shifts to remote learning. This program provided much-needed financial assistance to families grappling with both job losses and the increased burden of feeding children at home full-time. While these waivers and the P-EBT program were temporary measures and eventually expired, they played a critical role in mitigating the immediate impact of the pandemic on child nutrition during 2019-2020 and beyond.
One notable waiver, which expired in June 2022, had allowed schools to offer free meals to all students irrespective of their household income. The expiration of this universal free meal waiver and the subsequent reintroduction of meal charges for some students raised concerns about potential increases in household financial strain. This shift occurred at a time when many families were already facing economic hardships stemming from the pandemic, including job losses and rising inflation. An Economic Research Service (ERS) report from the USDA highlighted this issue, finding that nearly one-third of households with school-aged children who paid for school meals in December 2022 reported increased difficulty in affording other essential household expenses. This underscores the significant impact that school meal costs can have on family budgets, especially for those already struggling financially.
Research prior to the pandemic also emphasizes the importance of school meals for food-insecure children. A 2010 USDA, ERS study revealed that children from food-insecure and marginally food-secure households obtained a greater proportion of their overall food and nutrient intake from school meals compared to their more food-secure peers. This finding reinforces the vital safety net function of programs like NSLP, particularly for vulnerable populations. Furthermore, broader research into USDA’s child nutrition programs, including NSLP, has demonstrated a positive correlation between program participation and reduced food insecurity among children and families.
The nutritional quality of meals provided through the NSLP is also a key focus. NSLP meals are required to adhere to Federal nutrition standards, which were significantly updated through the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA). These updates aimed to align school meal standards more closely with the Federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans, emphasizing healthier options and balanced nutrition. The HHFKA also authorized additional federal reimbursement for schools that successfully met these updated nutritional standards, incentivizing the provision of healthier meals. This legislation also addressed the pricing of school meals for students not eligible for free or reduced-price lunches, ensuring affordability and access for all.
Beyond the core NSLP, USDA supports related initiatives that enhance child nutrition and the school food environment. The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), created under the HHFKA, allows high-poverty schools to offer free meals to all students, simplifying meal service and reducing stigma associated with free and reduced-price lunch programs. Additionally, USDA actively promotes the use of locally produced foods in school meals and supports “farm-to-school” activities. These farm-to-school programs aim to educate students about food origins, encourage the consumption of fresh produce, and create connections between schools and local agricultural communities. A USDA, FNS survey in the 2018-19 school year indicated that a significant proportion of school food authorities were engaged in farm-to-school activities, demonstrating the growing interest in and adoption of these programs.
Note: All data and figures are current as of December 2023 and are subject to revisions. For up-to-date information on program changes during the COVID-19 pandemic, please refer to FNS Responds to COVID-19. Additional details regarding program eligibility, benefits, and application procedures can be found on the Food and Nutrition Service Child Nutrition Programs web page.
