WHEREAS, President Harry S. Truman signed the National School Lunch Act into law on June 4, 1946, establishing a federal commitment to safeguarding children’s health and well-being through school meals, a commitment that marks its eightieth anniversary this year; and
WHEREAS, Congress established National School Lunch Week in 1962, and President John F. Kennedy issued its inaugural proclamation to encourage public recognition and support of school lunch programs; and
WHEREAS, National School Lunch Week will be celebrated in schools October 12-16, 2026, providing an opportunity to recognize school meals as an essential source of nourishment and an investment in children’s readiness to learn; and
WHEREAS, Food insecurity occurs when households lack consistent access to sufficient food, and school lunches help close gaps in access by providing children with a dependable meal while easing household food expenses; and
WHEREAS, The School District of Philadelphia’s 2023-24 Philly School Experience Survey, analyzed in a report published in December 2025, found that 24 percent of responding households experienced food insecurity, that 19 percent of responding students reported going hungry at least sometimes during the previous 30 days because there was not enough food at home, and that 36 percent of responding principals identified food insecurity as a moderate or great challenge to student learning; and
WHEREAS, The School District of Philadelphia offers lunch at no charge to students, helping ensure that household income does not determine whether a child can eat during the school day; and
WHEREAS, Good nutrition supports physical growth and brain development and helps students maintain the energy, attention, and concentration needed to participate in classroom instruction and remain engaged throughout the school day; and
WHEREAS, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies school meal programs as a source of nutritious food, reporting that these programs improve dietary intake and are associated with better attendance and academic outcomes; and
WHEREAS, The American Heart Association advocates for healthy school meals for all children and strong, evidence-based school nutrition standards, recognizing that nutritious meals help address food insecurity, support student learning, and establish eating habits that promote lifelong cardiovascular health; and
WHEREAS, School lunch provides an opportunity for students to connect with their peers and develop healthy eating habits, and the benefits of school lunch depend on appealing meals, sufficient time to eat, and a welcoming environment that encourages participation without stigma; and
WHEREAS, School food service employees make these benefits possible through their daily work preparing and serving meals, accommodating students’ needs, and supporting school communities; and
WHEREAS, National School Lunch Week offers an opportunity to reaffirm Philadelphia’s commitment to addressing childhood hunger and to reexamine school lunch policies and practices with input from students, families, and food service employees; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Recognizes National School Lunch Week, celebrated in schools October 12-16, 2026, and honors the role of school meals and school food service employees in addressing food insecurity and supporting the health, learning, and well-being of Philadelphia’s students.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That Council encourages the School District of Philadelphia to use this observance to reexamine its school lunch policies and practices, with input from students, families, and school food service employees, to ensure that meals are healthy, nutritious, appealing, and accessible and that students have sufficient time to eat and return to the classroom ready to learn.
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