FRAC’s Back-to-School Reading List

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By Cherise Bathersfield, Senior Content Writer/Editor

August 30, 2023

A new school year brings with it the excitement of new beginnings and the potential for positive change, not only for students but for the school administrators, educators, and parents around the country who are charged with ensuring children have what they need to succeed in school. School meals are fundamental and critical to that success — just as important as text books and other essential school supplies.

The School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program have fed millions of children from households with low incomes for decades. Research has linked school meals participation to improved academic achievement and attendance, lower food insecurity, and a higher consumption of healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables. School meals also help to reduce overall food costs for families. Nearly every school district surveyed in Food Research & Action Center’s (FRAC) recent Large School District Report noted numerous benefits to offering school meals to all students at no charge, regardless of household income, including decreasing child hunger (88 percent). And support for Healthy School Meals for All, offering free school breakfast and lunch to every student, continues to gain momentum nationwide, as more and more states are passing legislation for permanent free school meals policies.

Now is the time to get your school meals advocacy gear ready to support schools, school meals, and students by helping to expand free school meals for all. Use these FRAC resources to learn the school meals basics and spread the word in your community about Healthy School Meals for All, so that every school year all children have the nutrients they need to thrive and make it their best school year ever.

School Meals Reading List

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