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Free and Reduced Lunch Program Contact:
Paulette Russo, Secretary
609-298-3900 Ext.#2031
FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
Northern Burlington County Regional School District participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. Free and Reduced Lunch Program Applications are received in both schools' main offices.
The objective of the NJ School Lunch Program is to “provide a nutritious, well-balanced lunch for children in order to promote sound eating habits, to foster good health and academic achievement, and to reinforce the nutrition education taught in the classroom.”
What is the National School Lunch Program?
The National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1751) was first passed in 1946. It created a national school lunch program; however, it was not until 1966 that Congress made an annual appropriation of funding for schools to provide free and reduced price lunches to eligible students who were unable to pay the full cost of lunch.
The National School Lunch Act states that it is in the interest of national security to “safeguard the health and well-being of the Nation’s children and to encourage the domestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commodities and other food.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture administers the program, and provides states with general and special cash assistance and donations of foods purchased by the federal government so that schools will be able to serve nutritious lunches to children each school day. In New Jersey, the NJ Department of Agriculture administers this program. Schools, like the Northern Burlington County Regional Schools, must agree to the following requirements in order to receive funds:
• Serve lunches meeting the minimum nutritional requirements.
• Serve meals without cost or at reduced cost to children who were determined to be unable to pay the full cost of the lunch and not to segregate or discriminate against such children in any way.
• Operate the program on a nonprofit basis.
• Use, whenever practical, the commodities donated by the federal government.
• Maintain proper records of all receipts and expenditures and submit reports to the state agency as required.
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