September 19, 2024
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and six other Democratic senators sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack advocating for a ban on transaction fees charged to student meal accounts, which they classify as "exorbitant," by ending an exemption that has allowed them to charge the fees since 2014. A School Nutrition Association report states that lunch prices average $2.83 in elementary school, $3 in middle school and $3.05 in high school for lunches, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reports some families that qualify for reduced rates end up spending 60 cents of every dollar on fees.