DOE secures waiver for school meals through April vacation

Concord – The New Hampshire Department of Education announced today that it has secured a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to allow schools to provide meals to students through April vacation. While some schools are working though the scheduled April break, others are giving students and faculty the week off. Under normal circumstances, USDA would not reimburse school districts for meals served over a vacation week. Late last week, New Hampshire and other New England states received verbal approval from USDA officials to continue school nutrition programs over April vacation.

"Our federal school nutrition programs were not crafted with these disruptions in mind,"" said Cheri White, Administrator of the state Office of Nutritional Programs and Services. "This waiver will give schools flexibility to continue to feed students healthy meals uninterrupted, during April vacation."

"Whether to keep April vacation or work though it is a decision for local school officials," added Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut. "But we did not want availability of school nutrition programs to be a factor in those decisions. I want to thank USDA for recognizing the need to give schools flexibility as we provide remote instruction to New Hampshire students."