The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in more than 99.800 public, 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.  In 1988, Congress expanded the National School Lunch Program to include reimbursement for snacks served to children in after school educational and enrichment programs to include children through 18 years old.

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.

Any child at a participating school may purchase a meal through the National School Lunch Program.  Children from families with incomes below 130 percent of the poverty level are eligible for free meals.  Those with incomes between 130 percent and 185 percent of the poverty level are eligible for reduced-price meals.  For more information, contact Arkansas Department of Education, District Operations, Special Nutrition Programs at the address below.

Children from families with incomes over 185 percent of the poverty level pay full price, though their meals are subsidized to some extent.  Local school food authorities set their own process for full-price (paid) meals, but must operate their meal services as nonprofit programs.

After school snacks are provided to children on the same income eligibility basis as school meals.  However, programs that operate in areas where at least 50 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals serve all snacks free.

School Lunch