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Oregon Celebrates National School Lunch Week 

October 12-16, 2026

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) serves nearly 30 million children every school day. President John F. Kennedy created National School Lunch Week (NSLW) in 1962 to promote the importance of a healthy school lunch in a child’s life and the impact it has inside and outside of the classroom.


The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential childcare institutions, providing nutritionally balanced, low-cost, or no-cost lunches to children each school day. The program was established under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, signed into law by President Harry Truman in 1946.

All meals claimed for reimbursement must meet federal requirements, though decisions about the specific foods to serve and the methods of preparation are made by local school food authorities.  Meals are reimbursed based on children’s free, reduced price, or paid eligibility status.

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