School Lunch Program

Commentary

April 10, 2024

Students need more time for lunch

Lack of time to sit down and eat undermines California's progress in making school meals available to all students.

January 6, 2022

Kids enroll in this school just for the lunch

John Fensterwald takes us for school lunch, cooked from scratch by fifth and sixth graders.

January 6, 2022

Kid cooks and tasty lunches: One elementary school's recipe for survival

No frozen pizza on the menu at Pacific Elementary in tiny coastal Davenport. The fifth and sixth grade chefs cook from scratch, luring families to enroll in their school.

John Fensterwald And Andrew Reed

Podcast

August 12, 2021

What impact will the state's new universal school meals program have on schools and children? Host Zaidee Stavely takes a deeper look with reporter Ali Tadayon and Stephanie Bruce, nutrition services director at Palm Springs Unified.

EdSource staff

Student Well-Being

March 11, 2020

California county superintendents share concerns about school closures with governor

State gets federal waiver allowing schools to continue providing meals if they close due to coronavirus.

Theresa Harrington

Podcast

January 31, 2020

As Trump administration tightens rules on green cards, schools reach out to families

We discuss with researcher Randy Capps of the Migration Policy Institute the Trump Administration's new restrictions on who can seek green cards for permanent residency.

EdSource staff

Student Well-Being

January 31, 2020

California school officials reassure immigrant parents after ruling limiting benefits

School officials report families are concerned about signing up for school lunch and other services.

Zaidee Stavely

Student Health

August 2, 2019

School lunch could be slashed for thousands of California children under new proposal

Families who would no longer qualify for food stamps under a new proposed rule will also lose their automatic eligibility for free or reduced-price school meals.

Zaidee Stavely

Student Health

December 15, 2014

State likely to support existing lunch standards

California's enthusiasm for healthy school lunches appears unlikely to change under a proposed Congressional budget bill that would allow states to weaken new federal school nutrition requirements, including one that schools serve only breads and pastas that are "whole grain rich."

Jane Meredith Adams

Student Health

December 2, 2014

'Farm-to-cool' grants aim to spur healthy eating

Eight California farm-to-school programs received federal grants on Tuesday with the goal of making broccoli cool on the North Coast, bringing traditional Karuk Tribe foods into Humboldt County schools and supporting local farmers across the state, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced.

Jane Meredith Adams

Student Health

November 13, 2014

Report: School kitchens need equipment

Nearly every school kitchen in California needs equipment to be more successful at serving lunches that meet federal nutrition standards, according to a report released Thursday.

Jane Meredith Adams

Student Health

November 12, 2014