Nashville – Gov. Phil Bredesen and Commissioner of Education Dr. Timothy Webb announced Tuesday school food authority grants through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
These grants will fund the purchase of lunchroom equipment for school district’s participating in the National School Lunch Program.
The ARRA provides this funding as a one-time appropriation to Tennessee with Murfreesboro’s Hobgood Elementary set to receive $20,000 and Smyrna Middle School set to receive $15,000.
“We cannot ignore the importance of healthy, nutritious meals that give students the fuel they need to focus in school and continue good eating habits as adults,” Bredesen said. “This Recovery Act money will allow school districts across the state to improve the quality of school nutrition, thus improving the quality of our children’s education.”
The focus of these competitive grants include purchasing equipment that improves the safety of food served in school meal programs, improving the overall energy efficiency of school nutrition operations, supporting expanding participating in school meal programs and improving the overall quality of school nutrition meals that meet dietary guidelines.
To be selected, a school must have 50 percent or more of its students eligible for free or reduced lunches and must meet other criteria set out under the ARRA.
“We are very fortunate to be able to provide nutritious meals to our students, especially as we meet the challenges of increased standards next year with the Tennessee Diploma Project,” Webb said. “Our children need every educational tool available and that includes nutritional services.”
For more information on these grants, visit http://tn.gov/education/recovery.shtml, and see “Grant Opportunities.”
For more information on the Tennessee Diploma Project, visit http://tn.gov/TDP/. |
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