Smyrna times., 1951-07-26
SCHOOL LUNCH
AVERAGES 23c
State Supervisor of School
Lunches Makes Report on
IS Schools Participating
FEDERAL AID $4,000

It's still possible to buy hearty,
nourishing meal in Delaware for
about % cents. That's the aver
age price paid during the school
year just ended for complete hot
lunch by the more than 1900
youngsters in 85 public and private
schools participating in the Ma
tional School Lunch Program. A
report released this week by Mrs.
Ethel B. Emmet, State Supervisor
of School Lunches, Delaware De-
partment of Public Instruction,
shows that charges for school
lunches of all types are holding
the line" despite advancing costs
for food, equipment, services, and
wages. Evidence of the food bar
gain offered by the States schools
is in the increased number of meals
served in the past year. In the
first 6 months of the fiscal year
now ending, a total of 1,160, ,465
meals of all types were served,
with an average daily participation
of 1884 children. In the cores
ponding period of the previous
year, 1,025,O32 meals were served
to 1903 youngsters. This year,
more than $4,000 meals were serv-
ed free or at reduced prices. I'm
der the National School Lunch Act,
the u. S. Department of Agricul-
ture allocates most of the $50, $780,
600 school lunch appropriation an
nually among all States and ter
ritories, to be used in buying food.
Most of the food is bought locally
The money is apportioned on the
basis of formula which takes into
account the number of children of
school age and the per capita in
come of each State. The balance
of the cost of the program is borne
by sources within the State, in
cluding payments by the children.
In Delaware, $203,33 was spent
for food during the July-December
1850 period, with about $31, 1888
contributed from Federal appropri-
ations. For the year ending June
80, 1851, Federal funds allocated
to Delaware totaled approximately
$93, 900. In addition to the FEEDER
al cash grants, foods purchased by
USDA with Federal funds reserved
for that purpose from the school
lunch appropriation are distributed
to schools participating in the pro-
gram. During the past school year,
for example, Delaware schools re-
ceived about 10000 pounds of such
commodities. including concentrat-
ed orange juice, smoked pork
shoulders, processed cheese, canned
tomatoes, peanut butter, and dry
beans. The States schools also
shared in the distribution of guam
titles of potatoes, apples, butter
and dried milk, which were acquir-
ed by USDA under its price-sup-
port and surplus-removal opera
tions.
Through careful buying and
management on the part of loca
school lunch managers, and effec.
tive use of USDA-donated com
modities. Mrs. Emmert reports the
average price charges for the com
plete type A" hot lunch in Della
ware is % cents, with the max
imum being % cents. A typica
type A lunch menu includes 1a-pint
of milk, hamburger on roll, with
butter or margarine, sweet pota
toes and apples, and fruit gelatin
In some schools with limited fa
cilities, a less complete, or "typt
B" lunch is served. The lunch in
cludes slightly smaller amounts o.
protein foods and vegetables and i:
often served, with milk, in Soup
and-sandwich" combination. Aver
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