Federal Formula Grant Award Summary

The Commonwealth of Virginia State Board of Education received a Formula Grant award of $71.21 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Child Nutrition Division for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP, CFDA 10.555), effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. The NSLP provides cash subsidies and USDA Foods to support the delivery of nutritionally balanced, low-cost or no-cost lunches to eligible school children in public and nonprofit private schools throughout Virginia. As the state administrative agency, the Board of Education is responsible for determining school eligibility, managing written agreements with participating institutions, ensuring compliance with federal meal pattern requirements, and maintaining comprehensive records of nonprofit food service operations.

The Board of Education distributes funding to local school districts and educational institutions across Virginia, including sub-awards to the School Board of the City of Virginia Beach and Fairfax County Government (awarded January 23, 2026) to facilitate direct meal service delivery. These sub-awardees administer the program at the local level, ensuring that participating schools serve nutritionally compliant meals while offering them free or at reduced prices to eligible students. The program simultaneously supports domestic agricultural commodity consumption by requiring schools to utilize USDA Foods as part of their meal operations.