Three Magic Valley Schools Awarded Grants for Kitchens

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KLIX) Three schools in southern Idaho have been awarded grants from a United States Department of Agriculture program to upgrade kitchen equipment. According to the Idaho Department of Education, the three schools are Heritage Academy, given $7,074.30 for a salad table, Hansen High School, awarded $32,007.44 for a walk in freezer, and Richfield School, with $6,071.53 for an electric range. A total of 13 schools across the state were awarded funds from the Child Nutrition Program to purchase new equipment for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. The money for the grants came from the USDA Equipment Assistant Grant.

According to the Idaho Department of Education:

The application process was competitive, with 26 School Food Authorities (SFAs) submitting grant applications totaling more than $221,000 in equipment requests. Additional consideration was given to SFAs that had not received previous equipment grants and schools with a high percentage of students who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals. Other factors in the selection process included expanding meal participation, food safety, energy efficiency and improving the nutrition and quality of meals.