USDA Cancels Funding for Local Food to Schools

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that it is cancelling two programs – estimated worth of $1 billion – that provides resources for schools and other organizations to purchase local foods. 

Notable for school leaders, the Local Food for Schools Program will allocate the FY25 payments. Therefore, this cancellation will not impact the current funds that districts have received but means districts will not receive the funding that was allotted for the next payment cycle. You can see how much each state was estimated to receive here (under LFS FY25 – second column). 

The LFS FY25 was an estimated $660 million in additional funding for school nutrition programs. Overall, this program represented a very small percentage of federal support for school nutrition programs, but as school districts address increased costs and prepare to comply with new regulations, the federal government should be providing more resources for these programs – not less.