Yeah, I ask that same question, how can you not know how the school lunch program works?   You seem to see that it is subsidized, which is something I don't care for.  Your comment is about how it works for students.  My comment was about how the lunch program works from the providers point of view.  You see, a provider gives a service and expects to make, or at least not lose, money in the process.  So when we outsource the lunch program to a Sysco, for example, they don't expect to lose money, just like Applebees doesn't expect to lose money when they serve you the slop they are famous for.  However, when the school provides the lunch service, they don't mind losing money because the tax payers make up the difference.  I don't think your user name should be T-Bone, I think it should be Gammie.  Or Coco.