April 23, 2020
School nutrition programs across the country are under financial
strain as they continue to serve meals through school closures, and they want
Congress to include them in the next round of aid.
"We urge Congress to provide $2.6 billion to mitigate a
portion of the estimated, significant financial loss that school nutrition
programs have and will continue to experience," reads a letter to key
appropriators that's circulating. Signatories include the School Nutrition
Association, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Urban School Food
Alliance, which represents large school districts.
Greater
costs, same reimbursement: "School meal programs
chose to keep workers employed, deliver meals to students with no additional
reimbursement, and expose staff to the coronavirus with little to no funding
for proper personal protective equipment," the groups write. "Many
maintained fixed expenses such as salaries while taking on unanticipated expenses
such as hazard pay and transportation."