School Nutrition Advocates Urge Greater Support for School Meals

June 4, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Celebrating the 80th anniversary of the National School Lunch Act, school nutrition advocates met with key congressional leaders today to call for increased support to sustain school meal programs. As USDA prepares to align school nutrition standards with the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, advocates touted the benefits of investing in school kitchen equipment and staffing to expand scratch meal preparation and cited the higher cost of fresh, local foods.

The School Nutrition Association (SNA) and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, joined by partner organizations, hosted a bipartisan congressional briefing highlighting the importance of school meals to students and families. The organizations then met with Senate appropriators to discuss the need to increase investments in the programs.

During the briefing, two former USDA Deputy Under Secretaries for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, Brandon Lipps (Trump Administration), and Cindy Long (Biden Administration) reflected on how school meal programs have evolved, from improving nutrition quality under current nutrition standards and expanding student access to healthy meals to the increased emphasis on fresh and scratch meal preparation.

SNA President Stephanie Dillard, MS, SNS, discussed current challenges for programs, sharing findings from SNA's survey of school nutrition directors. "Food, labor, and equipment costs continue to rise. These pressures show up in real ways. Staffing shortages, aging kitchens, and difficult decisions about what schools can realistically offer. Despite these challenges, school meals remain one of the strongest nutrition investments we make in children."

"Nutritious school meals play an essential role in helping students succeed, and addressing the challenges facing school kitchens today is critical to supporting the health and well-being of future generations," said the Academy's 2026-2027 President Tamara Randall, MS, RDN, LD, CDCES, FAND. "Marking eight decades of the National School Lunch Act shines a spotlight on the difference school meals have made for students in communities across the country."

AASA, The School Superintendents Association, Chef Ann Foundation, Institute of Child Nutrition, National Farm to School Network, National Milk Producers Federation, Save the Children and Share our Strength joined today's events. During Congressional meetings, advocates urged Congress to boost school meal program funding, protect and expand access to healthy school meals for all students and ensure updates to federal school nutrition standards are feasible for schools. Senate appropriators were also encouraged to increase funds for school nutrition equipment grants, farm to school programs, and the Institute of Child Nutrition. View for additional details.