U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently provided an increase to school meal reimbursements in response to ongoing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic causing an increase in food costs.

The increase, which adds to a previous increase of 15% for standard free lunch reimbursements, provides an additional 25 cents, or 22%, for school lunches, a Jan. 7 USDA press release said. The change is expected to provide approximately $750 million to school meal programs nationwide.

“USDA understands that balancing the pressures of the pandemic with the need to feed children healthy and nutritious meals continue to be a priority for schools across the country,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in the release. “The Biden-Harris Administration is doing everything we can and these higher meal reimbursements will help allow school meal programs to continue meeting their mission of giving children the nourishment they need to grow, learn, and thrive.”

Reimbursement rates typically do not rise during the school year, but the USDA decided to provide schools “the highest rates available, which are normally reserved for the USDA Summer Food Service Program,” the release said. 

“This adjustment is well-timed to ensure the purchasing power of schools keeps pace with the cost of living,” the release said. “Schools receiving these reimbursement rates can stretch their operating budgets further during these tough times, while giving families fewer meal expenses to worry about each school day.”

The action comes as part of a joint effort between the USDA and Biden Administration to support schools in providing healthy meals to students, the release said. Other actions have included the investment of $1 billion into schools to buy meals for their programs, support for the “grab ‘n’ go” meal program for distance learners and further assistance through pandemic EBT programs.