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District 196 reports big jumps in meals served under Minnesota free school meals program
Summary
District 196 nutrition services reported increased participation, new farm-to-school pilots and staffing improvements after statewide free-meals legislation; board members praised program performance.
Spencer Fisher, director of nutrition services, told the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School Board on July 14 that the district has seen large increases in meal participation since Minnesota's free school meals legislation took effect and that the department is expanding local sourcing and kitchen staffing.
The report matters because higher participation alters funding flows and school support: Fisher said the district served about 1,200,000 breakfasts last year (a 53% increase from two years ago) and about 3,400,000 lunches (an 18.5% increase) over a 168-day year, averaging more than 27,000 meals per day.
Fisher said funding for meals now comes from three buckets: federal reimbursement for students receiving educational…
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