The need for a school food service was recognized at the beginning of the 20th century. Since then, many such programs, some adequate and some inadequate, have been initiated. There has, however, always been the problem of inadequate financing to provide lunches for a full day's nourishment and sufficiently inexpensive for every student. In most States, State legislatures and local boards of education have not contributed their fair share toward support of the program. To be sure there are no hungry children at school, it is recommended that a school food service program be provided which will (1) provide nutritionally adequate lunches for pupils and, where needed, supplementary food services including breakfasts and morning and afternoon nourishments; (2) establish sale prices not to exceed the cost of the food; (3) provide free and reduced price meals for economically needy children; (4) receive sufficient tax support to assure program excellence; (5) receive increased Federal, State, and local tax contributions: and (6) effect economies through centralization of purchasing, personnel administration, and funds control, and cause mergers of small ineffective units to provide more adequately sized administrative and operational units. (HW)