Twenty-Eight School Districts Receive National Awards for Trailblazing, Innovative Improvements to Make School Meals Healthier
CHICAGO, January 23, 2025 – Action for Healthy Kids and USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service announced that 28 school districts received 32 Healthy Meals Incentives (HMI) Recognition Awards in December for trailblazing and innovative work in improving the nutritional quality of their school meals.
The HMI Recognition Awards Program recognizes and celebrates school districts that make operational changes to improve the planning and preparation of nutritious school meals, as well as those that engage students and families in menu planning and nutrition education. The Recognition Awards showcase the efforts of schools to enhance meal quality and foster a culture of nutrition awareness among students and their families.
Learn About the Awardees:
- Limestone County School District (Alabama) received the Innovative School Lunch Makeover Award
- Marshall County School District (Alabama) received the Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals Award
- Petersburg School District (Alaska) received the Innovation in the Cultural Diversity of School Meals Award
- Newman-Crows Landing Unified School District (California) received the Innovative School Lunch Makeover Award
- Little Lake City School District (California) received the Breakfast Trailblazer Award
- Bettendorf Community School District (Iowa) received the Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals Award
- Decorah Community School District (Iowa) received the Innovative School Lunch Makeover Award and the Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals Award
- Urbandale Community School District (Iowa) received the Innovation in Nutrition Education Award
- Bogalusa City School District (Louisiana) received the Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals Award
- Central Community School District (Louisiana) received the Small and/or Rural School Food Authority Breakfast Trailblazer Award
- Brooklyn Center Community Schools (Minnesota) received the Innovation in Nutrition Education Award
- Whitefish School District 44 (Montana) received the Small and/or Rural School Food Authority Lunch Trailblazer Award
- West New York School District (New Jersey) received the Innovation in the Cultural Diversity of School Meals Award
- Hozho Academy (New Mexico) received the Innovation in Nutrition Education Award
- Cincinnati Public Schools (Ohio) received the Lunch Trailblazer Award
- Southeast Local School District (Ohio) received the Small and/or Rural School Food Authority Lunch Trailblazer Award
- Smithfield School District (Rhode Island) received the Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals Award
- Spartanburg School District 4 (South Carolina) received the Innovation in Nutrition Education Award
- Brandon Valley School District 49 – 2 (South Dakota) received the Lunch Trailblazer Award
- Weakley County School District (Tennessee) received the Small and/or Rural School Food Authority Breakfast Trailblazer Award
- Copperas Cove Independent School District (Texas) received the Innovation in the Cultural Diversity of School Meals Award
- Frankston Independent School District (Texas) received the Innovation in Nutrition Education Award, the Small and/or Rural School Food Authority Breakfast Trailblazer Award, and the Small and/or Rural School Food Authority Lunch Trailblazer Award
- Birdville Independent School District (Texas) received the Innovation in Preparation of School Meals Award
- North East Independent School District (Texas) received the Innovation in Nutrition Education Award
- Terrell County Independent School District (Texas) received the Innovation in the Cultural Diversity of School Meals Award
- Lamoille North Modified Unified School District (Vermont) received the Small and/or Rural School Food Authority Lunch Trailblazer Award
- Bennington-Rutland Supervisory Union 6 (Vermont) received the Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals Award and the Small and/or Rural School Food Authority Lunch Trailblazer Award
- Loudon County Public School District (Virginia) received the Innovation in Nutrition Education Award
A map of all the Recognition awardees and more information about their awards can be found on the Recognition Awardees webpage.
“Action for Healthy Kids and the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service would like to congratulate these school districts on the progress they’ve made in their nutrition programs this school year,” said Rob Bisceglie, Executive Officer/President of Action for Healthy Kids. “We applaud the staff who have worked hard to prepare fresh, appealing, and delicious meals for their students.”
School districts can apply for one or more of the following HMI Recognition Awards:
- Breakfast Trailblazer
- Small and/or Rural School Food Authority Breakfast Trailblazer
- Lunch Trailblazer
- Small and/or Rural School Food Authority Lunch Trailblazer
- Innovative School Lunch Makeover
- Innovation in the Cultural Diversity of School Meals
- Innovation in the Preparation of School Meals
- Innovation in Nutrition Education
“The Recognition Awards shine a spotlight on the progress our schools are making in serving high-quality meals that gives kids the fuel to grow, learn, and thrive,” said Tameka Owens, acting administrator for USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with schools to support and amplify their incredible efforts and innovative accomplishments.”
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 throughout the application period ending June 30, 2025.
ABOUT USDA’S FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) 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. 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.