So-called free school meals are only free if they’ve received previous funding – which can fail to cover costs if expenses rise, a North Carolina district announced at a school board meeting last week.
Carolyn Pennington, director of the Nash County Public Schools school nutrition program, explained the program had received 100% of its funding from the Federal School Nutrition Fund Balance “to offset deficit spending for the 2024-25 school year,” the Rocky Mount Telegram reported.
“No local funds or tax dollars were used to cover the deficit,” Pennington said at the committee meeting.
Failing refrigeration equipment contributed to the shortfall, incurring about $300,000 in expenses, according to the article.
“As for the drop in funds, Pennington pointed to the loss of revenue now that some students no longer have to pay for school lunches, a loss of $278,358; and the loss of revenue from a la carte food sales, a loss of $95,151.”
