Some solutions include balancing the supply chain and providing emergency funding to help school meal programs return to a profitable model, said Elizabeth Campbell, a registered dietitian and senior director of legislative and government affairs for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
The previous increase in reimbursement rates was insufficient for child nutrition programs funded by the USDA, Campbell said. At the start of the 2021-22 school year, the lunch reimbursement rate for schools was 15% higher than the standard reimbursement rate.
