A survey of 1,230 school systems around the U.S. shows more than half don’t find this year’s reimbursements sufficient enough to cover the cost of a meal.
MAINE, USA — Schools around the country are struggling to feed kids due to rising costs. During the pandemic, schools were reimbursed $4.56 for every meal through the USDA.
Once that pandemic-era aid expired at the end of the last school year, that rate was reduced to the pre-pandemic rate of $3.75.
A survey of 1,230 school systems around the U.S. shows more than half don’t find this year’s reimbursements sufficient enough to cover the cost of a meal due to increasing costs to provide those meals.
However, when federal funding rates were set to expire, Maine made universal free meals permanent for students starting this school year.
“It’s about time. Yeah, it was time,” Sandy Hodgins, Brewer’s Food Service Director, said.
Maine’s universal meal …