School meals are essential to student health and academic success, they support the local economy, and they are critical in the new school year as families may continue to struggle financially due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Overview

When schools closed due to COVID-19, school nutrition staff made sure that students could still access the meals they needed. School meals became a lifeline to many children and families, easing the financial strain and uncertainty caused by the coronavirus and providing a comforting source of consistency for students. School meals will be important in the new school year as families continue to struggle.

Learn about how school meals are essential to student health and academic success, how supporting school meals means supporting the local economy, and how collaboration and creativity can ensure meal service will be effective for everyone.

Read more about the importance of school meals.