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With the plunging economy resulting in high unemployment and job losses, the number of children forced into school lunch programs will result in a record 41-year high for this school year. That means that cash-strapped schools will have an even harder time preparing food. The government’s reimbursement rate for school lunches is already set so low – at only $2.57 per meal, that schools often cite lack of funds as a reason for the poor nutritional quality of lunches. Meanwhile, Congress is set to take up the Child Nutrition Act in October – a bill that is reauthorized every five years. The School Nutrition Association is asking Congress to increase reimbursements by at least 35 cents per meal in that bill. Another aspect of the school lunch program that is expected to change soon is the nutrition standard set by the Department of Agriculture. School lunch nutrition standards have not changed in nearly fifteen years. Despite government inertia, particularly during the Bush years, many schools have made changes on their own. The School Nutrition Association recently surveyed approximately 1,200 school nutrition directors and found that 2 out of 3 U.S. schools are now offering alternative vegetarian fare, up 40 percent from 2003. There is additionally a 12 percent increase in low-fat foods since 2007. Studies have shown children are capable of better academic performance and longer attention spans when fed healthier alternatives.

GUESTS: Ann Cooper, director of nutrition services for the Berkeley Unified School District and author of Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children, Rochelle Davis, founder of the Healthy Schools Campaign in Chicago

For more information, visit www.healthyschoolscampaign.org, www.lunchlessons.org.