CNP CN block programs total consolidated

The Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service awarded Ohio Department of Education $275,986,887.25 under the National School Lunch Program (Assistance Listing 10.555) on October 1, 2025, for the period ending September 30, 2026. The award is a formula grant providing cash subsidies and support for nutritionally balanced, low-cost or no-cost lunches served by Ohio school districts and participating institutions.

Ohio Department of Education, the state agency responsible for administering the National School Lunch Program in Ohio, distributes funding to school food authorities, school districts, residential child care institutions, and community organizations operating reimbursable meal programs. Participating schools must meet federal meal pattern requirements and offer lunches at free or reduced prices to eligible children. Schools receiving funds maintain records of nonprofit food service operations including finances, menu planning, meal counting, and claiming for state agency review.

The award supports summer food programs, child care food programs, and school milk programs across more than one hundred sub-recipients statewide. Sub-recipients include Ohio school districts (River View Local, Perry Local, Bright Local, Coshocton City, Whitehall City, Zanesville City, Fremont City, Mt Healthy, Reynoldsburg City, Northwood Local, Trotwood-Madison City, Dayton Public Schools, Fairborn City, and others), nonprofit organizations providing summer meals (Salvation Army locations in Middletown, Newark, Medina, and Dover; Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbus, Washington County, Massillon, and Northeast Ohio; Greater Cleveland Food Bank; Connecting Kids to Meals Inc.; Community Action organizations in Pike County, northwestern Ohio, Ross County, and Hocking-Athens-Perry; Coad Inc.; Axess Family Services; and others), YMCAs (Dayton, Akron, Western Stark County, and Licking County), city recreation and community development departments (Cleveland, Akron, Youngstown), colleges (Cuyahoga Community College), libraries, religious organizations, and specialized service providers addressing child food insecurity across rural and urban Ohio.