Dive Brief:
- A majority — 67% — of superintendents say that current funding levels are moderately or significantly hindering school meal programs, according to a Sept. 21 report by AASA, The School Superintendents Association.
- Two out of 5 leaders said they had to pull funding from elsewhere in their district budgets to cover the cost of feeding students last year, such as tapping into their rainy day balances or deferring maintenance upgrades.
- Nearly one-third said they had to reduce spending on academic programs, intervention supports tutoring or enrichment to make up for insufficient federal reimbursements.
Dive Insight:
AASA conducted the survey in June and July, and its findings were based on 429 school leader responses across 43 states. The survey results come after districts reported concerns in May about the negative impact on school meal programs from cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid, which could likely jeopardize families' direct certification for free school meals.
Since federal-level changes in July 2025 to SNAP, approximately 5.2 million people have lost access to SNAP, according to the Food Research & Action Center.
In the 2026-27 school year, federal reimbursements for school breakfasts and lunches are increasing by 3.54% compared to the prior school year. For schools that served fewer than 60% of free and reduced-price lunches in the 2024-25 school year, for instance, the reimbursement is 45 cents — a 1 cent increase.
According to the recently released AASA report, most superintendents said federal reimbursements only covered a portion — between 21% to 80% — of their program costs. Only 22% said federal reimbursements covered 81% or more of their program costs.
Just 14 states have statewide universal school meals or free breakfast for all programs that help districts cover the remaining costs.
"It is important to note that diverting funding is not an option for all school districts," the report said. "Many may not have sufficient reserves to pull from." In those cases, districts may have to charge families or make other changes.
The AASA report recommended the following policy changes:
- An increase in federal reimbursement rates, as current ones "do not reflect the actual cost of operating school programs."
- More flexibility in federal nutrition standards to better mirror staffing realities, product availability, budget constraints and other challenges.
- Federal investments in school meal infrastructure like kitchen modernization, equipment upgrades and storage capacity.
- Support for universal school meals and strengthening and expanding the Community Eligibility Provision.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture to expand technical assistance and procurement support to help districts face supply chain disruptions.
- Changes to federal nutrition standards that better align with "the average student's palate.”
