Texas Schools to Receive Funding for School Lunch Programs

Students throughout the state of Texas should soon see an improvement in the quality and the nutrition of their school-provided lunches.  According to the Texas Department of Agriculture, the state recently received $11 million in federal funding - all of which is part of the recently passed stimulus package - with which they will be able to upgrade, update, and replace food preparation equipment throughout the state's schools.

"Schools can use this money to replace old, worn-out equipment and make sure our children are receiving healthy meals," said Todd Staples, who is the Texas Agriculture Commissioner, in an interview with Austin Biz Journals.  "These funds will go a long way to improving the nutritional offerings in schools."

According to staples, the funding will be used to help improve the safety and quality of the food while also improving the efficiency of delivering meals throughout the state.  In order to receive funding from the state, however, those school districts that are eligible for the program must complete an application.  Schools that participate in the national school lunch program are eligible to receive funding through the program, though a priority will be given to those schools where the majority of students meet eligibility requirements for free or reduced-cost meals.  Schools may begin applying for the funds on April first, but no deadline has been provided regarding how long the schools have to apply for the funding.