Typically, school districts pay for school lunches and then are reimbursed by the government. But without a funding agreement, the government isn’t able to spend money on many programs it normally funds, like school lunches. In its shutdown contingency plan, USDA says funds for school lunches are available through October. Earlier this year, the Trump administration cut $500 million in USDA grants that typically went to support food banks. But there’s no sign that USDA and its food programs fall under that umbrella.
