Gainesville schools get reimbursement for school meals

GAINESVILLE - The Gainesville City School Nutrition Department is now certified to receive 6-cents reimbursement for all school lunches served.

The Georgia Department of Education School Nutrition Program (GaDOE SNP) certifies that Gainesville City School Nutrition Department meets all qualifications of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) new meal pattern for breakfast and lunch.

In recognition of the effort required for receiving this award, GaDOE SNP presented Gainesville City School Nutrition Department with a plaque to commemorate its 6-cents certification status.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA), signed by President Obama in 2010 required the implementation of changes in the meal pattern for school lunches and breakfasts served in cafeterias throughout the U.S. As an incentive to implement these changes early, HHFKA also requires that an additional 6 cents be
reimbursed to school districts which certify that each meal served meets the requirements of the new meal pattern.

Although the USDA timeline for changes identified in the new meal pattern is phased in over several years, school districts may choose to implement changes beforehand. The qualification requires that the school district be in compliance with the new meal pattern for both lunch and breakfast, if breakfast is served. School districts that meet these qualifications may apply for 6-cents certification. In Georgia, more than 115 school districts are certified, indicating that GaDOE SNP is on target with modifications set by the HHFKA and the USDA to provide healthy meals to students served.