It was 25 cents because the federal government pays for most of the cost, so that every American school kid will have sufficient nutrition to stay healthy and able to study.

And as mentioned in the article, what you got at school probably wasn’t made exactly the way it was meant in the recipes. Cafeteria managers make adjustments due to cooking for hundreds, and perhaps have to purchase ingredients that are not necessarily of the best quality.

Me, I was one of those weird kids who liked school lunches. I got my nutrition and enjoyed a good meal every day—for 25 CENTS!