Contact: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Sixty-five elementary schools in 30 districts across Kentucky, including nine in Fayette County, are eligible for the federal Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program during the 2009-10 school year.

Participating schools will offer students fresh fruit and vegetables at no charge during the school day at times other than meals. The goal is to encourage kids to try new foods and to eat more of their favorites.

Eligibility criteria targeted elementary schools in which high percentages of students qualified for free or reduced-price meals. The Fayette County recipients and their allocations include: 

• Arlington, $15,250
• Booker T. Washington, $29,350
• Breckinridge, $24,600
• Cardinal Valley, $30,300
• Harrison, $18,950
• Mary Todd, $19,850
• Northern, $22,200
• Russell Cave, $13,950
• William Wells Brown, $19,500 

Congress authorized the program as part of the National School Lunch Act; it is funded through the most recent farm bill. Kentucky was allocated $1.2 million, meaning schools will receive reimbursements of roughly $50 per student, and about 24,000 students may be served statewide.

For more details, contact Lisa Gross at the Kentucky Department of Education, (502) 564-2015 or lisa.gross@education.ky.gov.