In fiscal year (FY) 2018, it operated in almost 100,000 public and nonprofit private schools (grades PK-12) and residential child care institutions. The NSLP supplied low-cost or free lunches to 29.7 million children daily at a price of $13.8 billion. Typical involvement was 1 percent less than in the previous FY and attained a 13-year low; participation was about 7 percent lower than in FY 2011 when average involvement appeared at 31.8 million kids. Participation has declined in six of the last seven decades.
Any student in a participating school can get an NSLP lunch regardless of the student's household income. Eligible students can receive free or reduced-price lunches: Free lunches are accessible to children in households with incomes at or below 130 percent of poverty.
Reduced-price lunches are accessible to children in families with incomes between 130 and 185 percent of poverty. In 2018, college cafeterias served nearly 5 billion lunches, together with almost three-quarters of the lunches free or at a lesser cost. ERS-sponsored research found that kids from food-insecure and marginally secure households were more likely to eat school food and obtained more of their food and nutrient intake in school food than did other children. USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the NSLP and reimburses participating schools' foodservice sections for the food served to pupils. Meals are required to meet nutrition standards; as a portion of these modifications required by Congressional reauthorization of the plan in 2010, NSLP nutrition standards are updated to more closely fit the Federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Within their price constraints, school food service programs face continuing challenges to provide healthy and attractive meals that promote student participation. This is especially true in smaller districts and certain regions that face higher food costs. See the reports:
In response to questions about the role of the school meal environment in children's diets and other issues, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 established updated nutrition standards for school meals and for non-USDA foods (frequently called "competitive foods") sold in universities participating in USDA's school meal plans. The legislation allowed an additional 6-cent payment for each meal when schools revealed that they were serving dishes which met the new standards; the laws also established new regulations for dinner prices billed to students not certified for free or reduced-price meals. The Act also created the Community Eligibility Provision, a new alternative which allows high-poverty schools to offer free meals to all students. USDA can be encouraging school districts to use locally-produced foods in school meals and to use" farm-to-school" actions to spark students' interest in trying new foods. More than 4 in 10 U.S college districts reported engaging in farm-to-school activities which involves serving local foods at the 2013-14 or even 2014-15 school years. A recent ERS study found that school districts with enrollment above 5,000 pupils, urban districts, and districts located in counties with a greater density of farmers' markets were more likely to serve local foods every day. Higher-income districts, those districts with higher levels of school attendance, and districts in States with more legislated policies behind farm-to-school applications were also more likely to serve local meals daily.