7 Norristown Schools Receive Funding To Buy Fresh Fruits, Veggies

King of Prussia PA

23 September, 2020

8:30 AM

Description

NORRISTOWN, PA — The Norristown Area School District has received a state grant to help provide students with more fresh fruits and vegetables as a part of their diet. The funding came through at the federal level, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. A total of $7 million was disbursed to more than 230 elementary schools statewide. "Over the past several years Pennsylvania has strengthened its approach to student nutrition and throughout the commonwealth's response to COVID-19 there has been intense focus on students' access to food," Education Secretary Pedro A. Rivera said in a statement. "School meals are integral to student health, and these fresh food grants help our school communities provide nutritious food to fuel our students' growth academically and physically." In Norristown, seven elementary schools will benefit from the funding: Cole Manor, Gotwals, Hancock, Marshall Street, Paul V. Fly, Whitehall, and Ray S. Musselman Learning Center. Districts with the highest rates of students eligible for free and reduced-price meals receive the funding. The exact amount of the funding to each school has not yet been announced. The federal program was first introduced in Pennsylvania in 2004 and is now available to all 50 states.