School Districts Across the Country Nationally Recognized for Healthier School Meals
CHICAGO, October 7, 2024 – Action for Healthy Kids and USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service announced that 99 school districts have received 127 Healthy Meals Incentives (HMI) Recognition Awards during the months of June, July, and August for making nutritional improvements to their school meals.
As part of the HMI Initiative, the Recognition Awards Program celebrates school districts that make operational and/or planning and preparation changes to improve the nutritional quality of their school meals, as well as school districts that engage students and families in nutrition education.
Details and a map of recipients can be found on the Awardee Spotlight webpage [LINK to detailed page]. School districts have been recognized in the following HMI Recognition Awards categories:
- Breakfast Trailblazer
- Newman-Crows Landing Unified School District (California)
- Thornton Fractional HSD 215 (Illinois)
- Trinity Lutheran School (Iowa)
- Lansing Catholic High School (Michigan)
- Minneapolis Public Schools (Minnesota)
- Hollandale School District (Mississippi)
- Lebanon School District (Pennsylvania)
- Antilles Consolidated School System (Puerto Rico)
- Quitman Independent School District (Texas)
- Port Townsend School District 50 (Washington)
- Small and/or Rural School Food Authority Breakfast Trailblazer
- Osborn School District 8 (Arizona)
- Newman-Crows Landing Unified School District (California)
- Glades County School District (Florida)
- St Helena Parish School District (Louisiana)
- Groton Central School District (New York)
- Great Valley School District (Pennsylvania)
- Antilles Consolidated School System (Puerto Rico)
- Franklin Special School District (Tennessee)
- Lunch Trailblazer
- Zeeland Public Schools (Michigan)
- Antilles Consolidated School System (Puerto Rico)
- Small and/or Rural School Food Authority Lunch Trailblazer
- Midwest Central Community Unit District 191 (Illinois)
- Frankfort Independent School District (Kentucky)
- Spencer County School District (Kentucky)
- Madawaska School District (Maine)
- MSAD 27 (Maine)
- RSU 14 (Maine)
- RSU 33/MSAD 33 (Maine)
- York School District (Maine)
- Carver School District (Massachusetts)
- Simpson County School District (Mississippi)
- Power School District 30 (Montana)
- Lyons Central School District (New York)
- Northville Central School District (New York)
- Yeshiva Ahavath Isreal Bnos Visnitz (New York)
- Marcola School District 79J (Oregon)
- Antilles Consolidated School System (Puerto Rico)
- Grainger County School District (Tennessee)
- Millsap Independent School District (Texas)
- Sinton Independent School District (Texas)
- Sevier School District (Utah)
- East Valley School District 90 (Washington)
- Prescott School District 402-37 (Washington)
- Seneca Area School District (Wisconsin)
- Innovative School Lunch Makeover
- Rialto Unified School District (California)
- Watertown Public Schools (Connecticut)
- Trinity Lutheran School (Iowa)
- Innovation in the Cultural Diversity of School Meals
- Esparto Unified School District (California)
- Huntington Beach Union High School District (California)
- Rialto Unified School District (California)
- Wonderful College Prep Academy-Lost Hills (California)
- Boulder Valley School District (Colorado)
- Linden Public Schools (New Jersey)
- Union City Public Schools (New Jersey)
- Yeshiva Ahavath Isreal Bnos Visnitz (New York)
- Antilles Consolidated School System (Puerto Rico)
- Sinton Independent School District (Texas)
- Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals
- Elmore County School District (Alabama)
- Osborn School District 8 (Arizona)
- Rialto Unified School District (California)
- San Ysidro School District (California)
- Western Placer Unified School District (California)
- Wonderful College Prep Academy-Lost Hills (California)
- Cherry Creek School District (Colorado)
- Brooks County School District (Georgia)
- Paris Community Unit School District 4 (Illinois)
- Trinity Lutheran School (Iowa)
- Henry County Public School District (Kentucky)
- Nelson County School District (Kentucky)
- Millinocket School Department (Maine)
- Regional School Unit 40 (Maine)
- RSU 10 Western Foothills (Maine)
- RSU 22/MSAD 22 (Maine)
- Center Line Public Schools (Michigan)
- Zeeland Public Schools (Michigan)
- Bogota School District (New Jersey)
- Clifton Public Schools (New Jersey)
- Hopewell Valley Regional School District (New Jersey)
- Hunterdon Central Regional High School District (New Jersey)
- Rahway Public Schools (New Jersey)
- Roselle Park School District (New Jersey)
- Yeshiva Ahavath Isreal Bnos Visnitz (New York)
- Bexley City School District (Ohio)
- Marcola School District 79J (Oregon)
- Colonial School District (Pennsylvania)
- Great Valley School District (Pennsylvania)
- Union City Area School District (Pennsylvania)
- Antilles Consolidated School System (Puerto Rico)
- North East Independent School District (Texas)
- Port Aransas Independent School District (Texas)
- Sinton Independent School District (Texas)
- Lamoille North Modified Unified School District (Vermont)
- Windham Central Supervisory Union (Vermont)
- Virginia Beach City Public School District (Virginia)
- Selah School District 119 (Washington)
- Washougal School District 112-6 (Washington)
- Innovation in Nutrition Education
- Hale County School District (Alabama)
- Madison Elementary School District 38 (Arizona)
- Osborn School District 8 (Arizona)
- Sacred Heart School (Arkansas)
- Borrego Springs Unified School District (California)
- Coronado Unified School District (California)
- Huntington Beach Union High School District (California)
- Nevada City School of the Arts (California)
- Rialto Unified School District (California)
- Boulder Valley School District (Colorado)
- Brush School District (Colorado)
- Cherry Creek School District (Colorado)
- Watertown Public Schools (Connecticut)
- Alachua County School District (Florida)
- Baldwin County School District (Georgia)
- Brooks County School District (Georgia)
- Herrin Community School District 4 (Illinois)
- Des Moines Public School District (Iowa)
- New Bedford Public School District (Massachusetts)
- Bendle Public School District (Michigan)
- Cliffside Park School District (New Jersey)
- Kearny School District (New Jersey)
- Woodbridge Township School District (New Jersey)
- Elba Central School District (New York)
- Yeshiva Ahavath Isreal Bnos Visnitz (New York)
- Marcola School District 79J (Oregon)
- Lee County School District (South Carolina)
- Collinsville Independent School District (Texas)
- Copperas Cove Independent School District (Texas)
- Galena Park Independent School District (Texas)
- Sinton Independent School District (Texas)
- Virginia Beach City Public School District (Virginia)
“The progress being made in small and/or rural school districts is unprecedented, and we needed a national Recognition Awards program to match that level of commitment,” said Rob Bisceglie, Executive Officer/President of Action for Healthy Kids. “We are happy to celebrate the staff who dedicate their days to preparing fresh, nutritious, and delicious meals for their students.”
“The Recognition Awards highlight the progress our schools are making in improving the quality of school breakfast and lunch,” said Cindy Long, Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services. “We’re seeing incredible efforts and innovative accomplishments by school nutrition professionals, as they provide their students with healthy, nutritious meals.”
The Recognition Awards application can be found on the HMI website. School districts are eligible to apply for the Recognition Awards if they participate in the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program in any of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis over a two-year application period ending June 30, 2025. School districts that apply between August 30, 2024, and the end of the application period on June 30, 2025, will be eligible to attend the Fall 2025 Healthy Meals Summit.
ABOUT USDA’S FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service works to end hunger and improve food and nutrition security through a suite of 16 nutrition assistance programs, such as the school breakfast and lunch programs, WIC and SNAP. Together, these programs serve 1 in 4 Americans over the course of a year, promoting consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food essential to optimal health and well-being. FNS also provides science-based nutrition recommendations through the co-development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. FNS’s report, “Leveraging the White House Conference to Promote and Elevate Nutrition Security: The Role of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service,” highlights ways the agency will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy, released in conjunction with the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September 2022. To learn more about FNS, visit www.fns.usda.gov and follow @USDANutrition.
ABOUT ACTION FOR HEALTHY KIDS
Action for Healthy Kids is dedicated to improving children’s health and well-being by bringing together and mobilizing educators, families, and other key stakeholders to help children lead healthy lives. Through its core programming and family-school partnerships, Action for Healthy Kids has impacted more than 20 million children in 55,000 schools nationwide to address systemic challenges in underserved communities. To learn more about its growing network of
volunteers and champions, visit: actionforhealthykids.org
Interested in applying for a Recognition Award?

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This material is based upon work that is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.