What Is The National School Lunch Program (NSLP)?
• The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in more than 99,800 public and non-profit private schools and residential child care institutions. • It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to more than 26 million children each school day. • The Food and Nutrition Service administers the program at the federal level. At the state level, the National School Lunch Program is usually administered by state education agencies, which operate the program through agreements with school food authorities. • Currently, the Louisiana Department of Education has 132 school food authorities and 1579 schools participating in this program.
The NSLP is a voluntary program available to all public schools, private schools, and residential child care institutions which agree to operate a non-profit program offering lunches meeting federal requirements to all children in attendance. Through the NSLP, public and non-profit private schools, preprimary classes in schools, and residential child care institutions receive cash reimbursement for each meal served. Participation in the program is voluntary. The sponsors of the program must: • Serve meals that meet federal requirements, • Operate a non-profit program, • Offer free or reduced-price meals to eligible children based on household income, • Not identify nor discriminate against any eligible student, and • Operate food service for all students without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.
