Series Overview
The school meal programs include the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. They operate in every U.S. state and territory and provide nutritious, low-cost or free meals to millions of children each year. We work hard to ensure the school meal programs support the FNS mission. One way we do this is by assessing school meal program operations regularly. Program assessments are so important they are written into law – see part §1769i of the National School Lunch Act.
We have studied school meal program operations for a long time. In the list below, you can access published reports that go back to school year (SY) 1988-89. Each study in this series focuses on topics that are important to program operations at the time. Sometimes the studies also collect information about other child nutrition programs, like the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program. We use the study findings to address program operation needs and develop informed regulations and guidance.
Studies in the Series
- SY 2022-23 (March 2026)
- SY 2021-22 (March 2025)
- SY 2020-21 (April 2024)
- SY 2019-20 (May 2023)
- SY 2017-18 (November 2022)
- SY 2015-16 (December 2019)
- SY 2013-14 (October 2016)
- SY 2012-13 (October 2016)
- SY 2011-12 (March 2014)
- SY 1990-91 (January 1993)
- SY 1989-90 (June 1992)
- SY 1988-89 (August 1991)