This notice announces the national average value of donated foods or, where applicable, cash in lieu of donated foods, to be provided in school year 2027 (July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027) for each lunch served by schools participating in the National School Lunch Program, and for each lunch and supper served by institutions participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
Under the leadership of President Trump, Vice President Vance, and Secretary Rollins, we are steadfast in ensuring every program operates with uncompromising integrity and accountability, with a relentless focus on serving eligible participants in need with efficiency, all while respecting the generosity of the American taxpayer.
250 Recipes for 250 Years of Freedom
This video provides program reporting instructions and technical assistance for Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant recipients starting in fiscal year 2026.
This final rule with comment period expands fluid milk options by allowing schools and child and adult care providers participating in child nutrition programs to offer whole and reduced-fat milk to participants two years and older.
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide guidance to state agencies and school food authorities on the paid lunch equity requirements for school year 2026-2027.
This notice announces the Department's annual adjustments to the Income Eligibility Guidelines to be used in determining eligibility for free and reduced-price meals, free milk, and Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer benefits for the period from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.
We have studied school meal program operations for a long time. You can access published reports that go back to school year 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 regularly collect information about the school meal programs and how they operate from the people who know best – the state agencies that oversee the programs in each state and territory and the school food authorities that manage the programs locally in one or more schools.
This memorandum is a reminder to state agencies and local educational agencies that the statutory deadline to elect the Community Eligibility Provision for the following school year is June 30. This memorandum also provides a reminder of the annual CEP notification and publication requirements.