National School Lunch Program

Feeding the Future
with Healthy School Lunches!

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The National School Lunch Program is a federally funded program that assists schools and other agencies in providing nutritious lunches to children at reasonable prices. In addition to financial assistance, the program provides donated commodity foods to help reduce lunch program costs. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responsible for overseeing the program nationally. In California, the program is administered by the California Department of Education (CDE), Nutrition Services Division. The program was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946.

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What are the benefits of participating in the program?

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For children, the National School Lunch Program provides a nutritious meal that contains one-third of the recommended dietary allowance of necessary nutrients. For parents, the program offers a convenient method of providing a nutritionally balanced lunch at the lowest possible price. For schools, the program enhances children's learning abilities by contributing to their physical and mental well-being. Studies have shown that children whose nutritional needs are met have fewer attendance and discipline problems and are more attentive in class.

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How can my child participate?

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Through California’s Universal Meals Program, BICS will be providing breakfast and lunch each school day to any student who would like a meal, regardless of whether they qualify for free or reduced-price meals already. That means ALL students can get a hot, nutritious meal, including fresh fruit, salad bar, and milk each day. We are excited about this new program for our school. In order for this program to be successful, we will have to collect student data for reporting purposes. Parents can do this by completing the online lunch application. Click here for the application!