Education Oct 06 This Oklahoma program pairs schools with farmers to cut down the cost of school meals By Adam Kemp
Nation Sep 07 Watch 5:00 How states are responding after federal funding for free school meals for all ends During the pandemic, the federal government provided funds for free healthy school meals for students, but that program ended in 2022. Most states went back to the system they had before, but some will continue providing meals. NewsHour Communities Correspondents… By Geoff Bennett, Karina Cuevas, Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, Gabrielle Hays, Adam Kemp
Nation Apr 16 Watch 7:20 Schools, families feel the pinch after end of federal free meal program A federal pandemic-era program that provided free meals for all public school students ended last September. A recent survey by a group that advocates for universal free school lunch found that 847 school districts have racked up more than $19… By Ali Rogin, Kaisha Young
Education Jan 24 School lunch goes farm-to-table for some California students Making fresh meals for school lunches requires significant investment and, in many areas, an overhaul of how school kitchens have operated for decades. By Jocelyn Gecker, Associated Press
Politics Nov 06 Colorado voters will decide whether all public school students get a free lunch In Colorado, a coalition of parents, teachers, and anti-hunger advocates are pushing to make permanent universal free school lunches, and lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled legislature put it on the ballot. By John Daley, Colorado Public Radio, Ivy Winfrey, NPR
Jun 25 Watch 3:50 Congress extends school lunch program, but maybe too late By Geoff Bennett, Andrew Corkery, Claire Mufson Congress voted Friday to extend the pandemic-era school meal waivers program, credited with providing millions of children access to free meals, narrowly averting a June deadline. Advocates say the delay in passing the extension has already jeopardized access to summer… Continue watching
Jun 23 Students are at risk of going hungry this summer. Congress might have a fix By Laura Santhanam The bipartisan Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022, a reimagination of proposals earlier this spring that failed to gain traction, could extend these waivers through the end of the 2022-2023 school year. Continue reading
Jul 19 California launches largest free school lunch program in U.S. By Jocelyn Gecker, Associated Press When classrooms in California reopen for the fall term, all 6.2 million public school students will have the option to eat school meals for free, regardless of their family’s income. Continue reading
Jan 17 Watch 6:04 How Trump’s USDA wants to change rules around school nutrition Improving school meals was among Michelle Obama’s key initiatives during her tenure as first lady. Since then, the Trump administration has rolled back Obama-era school nutrition policies they argued went too far and were ineffective. Now, the Department of Agriculture… Continue watching
Jul 25 Watch 7:36 The challenge of reaching hungry kids when school is out By PBS News Hour Summertime is supposed to be fun for children and families, but for millions, the absence of free school meals or discounted lunches is a cause for worry. Special correspondent Lisa Stark of Education Week reports from Nebraska on how food… Continue watching