Success Stories

In 2023, USDA awarded National School Lunch Equipment Assistance Grants to Graves County School District, which allowed them to upgrade kitchen ovens that had been in use for over 15 years.

By growing school gardens, serving more local foods in school meals, offering all students breakfast and lunch at no cost, serving healthy summer meals, and more, RUSD is supporting a healthier future for their community.

Individuals like Angela Adkins dedicate their careers to providing kids with delicious meals that give kids the nutrition they need to grow and thrive. Her team of school nutrition professionals dish up meals for over 1,700 students every day in Carroll County, Kentucky.

Every year, students in Houston County get excited for one of Georgia’s biggest annual events held right in their backyard – the Georgia National Fair. But when a school nutrition program chooses to celebrate the fair, of course, the focus is on the food and fun!

Roseville Area Schools in Minnesota leverages the diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds of their students to create meals from several countries and continents. The school nutrition team continues to learn how to maintain the integrity of dishes while meeting USDA guidelines for specific food groups. Feedback from students, families, and often local chefs informs this entire process.

Despite the many challenges that came with the pandemic and other events leading to increased costs and supply chain disruptions, Montague Area Public Schools in Michigan found stability for their nutrition department by providing free school meals through the Community Eligibility Provision and capitalizing on local foods and its well-established Farm to School education programming to keep kids coming back for more.

With partnerships between community and industry, and support from USDA and others, Hillsborough County’s School Nutrition Program has not just weathered the storm in service to the kids who count on them but has never stopped looking for ways to innovate and improve.