Jim Costa says cuts to federal food programs could affect valley school districts

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Congressman Jim Costa held a virtual property league Monday on with different section leaders to sermon caller cuts to national nutrient programs and however the cuts volition impact section schoolhouse districts and nutrient banks.

"It's astir children who are nutrient insecure successful our schools," said Costa. "Not lone present successful the San Joaquin Valley, but passim the country."

Costa talked astir the antagonistic effects that cuts to programs similar the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement (LFPA) arsenic good arsenic the Local Food for School Cooperative Agreement (LFS) volition have.

"These 2 programs are truly intended to make section partnerships betwixt schoolhouse districts and section farmers to beryllium capable to acquisition highly nutritious foods for the schools to amended their quality to thatch kids," helium said.

The cuts are portion of the Trump Administration's efforts to trim national spending.

Fresno Unified received astir $500,000 during the 2022-2023 schoolhouse twelvemonth to beryllium capable to bargain locally grown products.

"With the astir $500,000 that we received from Fresno Unified, we invested successful precocious quality, locally sourced nutrient that included caller produce, integrated chickenhearted and turkey, and different nutritious ingredients," said Nikki Henry, Chief Communications Officer for the Fresno Unified School District.

Fresno County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michele Copher said larger districts passim the region could sorb immoderate of these costs but they fearfulness their smaller districts volition suffer.

"We are peculiarly funny successful and acrophobic astir the smaller agrarian schoolhouse districts that conflict with a constricted nutrient proviso chain, they person to trust precise heavy connected national support," said Copher.

The cuts won't conscionable impact the schoolhouse districts but besides the Central California Food Bank. The nutrient bank distributed 60 cardinal pounds of nutrient to radical crossed this region.