Child nutrition director says KIPP Texas served 4.5 million free meals this year

Naima Brown, senior director for Child Nutrition for KIPP TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS, told members at the School Health Advisory Council meeting that KIPP Texas participates in the Community Eligibility Program and that "we served 4,500,000 free meals this school year" across the Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio regions.

Brown said the program means all meals served in KIPP Texas schools were free to students this year and will remain so next year, and she directed parents to regional menus posted online and to upcoming menu advisory meetings to give feedback.

Brown highlighted local-engagement efforts, saying KIPP Texas teams received recognition from the Texas Department of Agriculture for the Texas Farm Fresh Challenge and that Austin schools recently added salad bars. She described special promotions this year—seasonal harvest events, holiday meals, and classroom celebrations—and noted a farm-visit element the program used to connect students to local agriculture.

The report also emphasized that menu advisory meetings are being organized for the next school year so parents and students can offer input; Brown asked interested attendees to indicate interest in the attendance tracker so staff can follow up.

The council heard the report in a presentation portion of the meeting; there was no formal motion related to nutrition services during the session. The meeting moved from the nutrition update to consideration of community organizations to provide services across KIPP Texas.