The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is urging Congress and President Donald Trump to reopen the government before a lapse in school meal funding impacts the nation's students. USDA says there is adequate funding available to support school meal programs through the end of March, but SNA says many school meal programs lack reserve funds to continue serving students if federal support is withheld. “School meal programs operate on extremely tight budgets,” SNA President Gay Anderson said in a statement. “School districts — especially those serving America’s neediest students — are simply not equipped to cover meal expenses without federal support.” SNA says 30 million students eat school lunch on a daily basis. Of that 30 million, 22 million students rely on free or reduced-price school lunches. SNA says school lunch programs rely on federal funding to reimburse purchases of food and supplies, fund daily operations, and pay school nutrition staff. Anderson said congressional leaders and the president "must ensure students continue to receive the nutrition they need to succeed in school. SNA urges swift action to resolve the ongoing government shutdown.”
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