Federal Grant Award Summary

The Department of Education Iowa received a Formula Grant award of $32,137,546.50 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service for the National School Lunch Program (CFDA 10.555), effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. This award provides cash subsidies and nutritionally balanced meal services to eligible school children across Iowa's public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. As the state administering agency, the Department of Education Iowa 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 funding supports the provision of low-cost or no-cost lunches to school children while promoting domestic consumption of agricultural commodities through USDA Foods donations. State education agencies typically sub-award portions of grant funds to local school districts, charter schools, nonprofit organizations, and community entities to facilitate direct meal service delivery. All participating schools and institutions must operate nonprofit food services available to all children regardless of demographics and maintain full documentation of their food service operations for state agency review.