FLORENCE, Ky. — A new report from the School Nutrition Association (SNA) finds schools across the country are facing several challenges when it comes to feeding kids. The organization got responses from more than 1,200 districts and found the challenges are the same across the country: rising costs, staffing shortages and menu item shortages.
The survey ran for a couple of weeks in November and results were released earlier this week.
Cost increases school districts are experiencing come from several factors, not just the rising prices of food.
"Schools really have to increase wages, offer hiring and retention bonuses to keep their school cafeterias fully staffed," Diane Pratt-Heavner with the School Nutrition Association said.
Another challenge districts across the country are experiencing, according to the report, stems from the end of the USDA pandemic-era free federal waivers, which allowed all students to get free breakfast and lunch at school.
"We've also seen an increase in unpaid meal debt, families who can't afford the meal price and that's a burden not only on families but also on school district budgets," Pratt-Heavner said.
Boone County Schools said before the pandemic, their unpaid meal charges totaled $10,000. The unpaid meal charges from this school year so far total $25,000.
The report from SNA shows this district isn't alone.
96% of districts said unpaid meal charges are a challenge and in the midwest region, which includes Ohio, 88% reported having unpaid meal debt.
Even with the rising costs, the Freestore Foodbank provides things like school pantries and Power Packs to make sure kids and their families are getting the food they need.
The school pantries are available for students and their families.
"Families are able to go in there and choose what they want and take it home and make complete meals for their families," Ann Viancourt from the Freestore Foodbank said.
The food pantries have everything from canned goods, frozen vegetables and protein items to snacks and personal hygiene products.
"People can come in, they don't need to show any proof of income or identification, all they have to be is a school family," Viancount said.
She said the Freestore Foodbank asks the schools to open the pantry at least twice a month, but many will open by appointment too.
Power Packs are packs of food Freestore Foodbank sends home with students every Friday to make sure they have food on the weekends. These packs include things like whole grain cereal, fruit juice, sunflower seeds and pasta meals.
The Freestore Foodbank also operates a federal program called Kids Café. It provides a meal to kids at the end of the school day so they don't go home hungry. They also offer tutoring to kids.