School Lunch

Leaders at Belleville Township High School District 201, East St. Louis School District 189 and Belleville School District 118 say they have not received any indication that the federal reimbursements they receive for providing free or reduced price meals are in jeopardy.

The Edwardsville couple used the money to buy a $1.4 million home in town and six vehicles, according to the federal indictment.

The potential cut to a federal meal program for high-need school districts would result in about 900,000 students in the Midwest and Great Plains losing free school breakfasts and lunches.

The Farm-to-School movement is out to revolutionize the humble school lunch with food grown on local farms. But the path from cropland to cafeteria is full of complicated twists and turns. A new wave of federal funding is trying to smooth the way.

A change in USDA policy will make it easier for schools to offer free meals to all students, but they will still have to pay for part of the cost.

Belleville joins Collinsville and other Metro East school districts who have embraced the Community Eligibility Provision since it was first implemented in Illinois during the 2011-12 academic year.

The Collinsville school district will now offer all of its students free breakfast and lunch through a federal program for high-need school districts.

After the end of pandemic-era free meals, schools are reporting rising school meal debt and fewer kids in their free and reduced price programs.

Metro East schools rarely have vegan or vegetarian lunch options, but that could change

About 6,000 nutrition professionals gathered at the America’s Center Convention Complex in St. Louis. They came from all over the country to sample ramen…