Charter School Says Leaving National School Lunch Program Won’t Hurt Students

The American Classical Academy Rutherford school building (Photo Courtesy American Classical Academy Rutherford)

Lunch could look different for some students at a Rutherford County charter school in the future.

American Classical Academy Rutherford (ACAR) has filed a petition with the Rutherford County School Board to opt out of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and seek vendors elsewhere. School leaders say the move is needed to help avoid administrative burdens and cost inefficiencies.

Context From the School

ACAR opened with the intent of participating in the NSLP, but its leaders have faced challenges over the past two years securing a fully qualified NSLP-compliant vendor.

“No vendor has been able to meet both federal program criteria and the school’s expectations for quality, feasibility, and operational alignment during its first and second years of operation,” ACAR’s proposal to the board reads.

The school asserts that, as a result, parents have opted to send their children to school with meals from home.

The Proposal

School leaders say they’ve reviewed how their past lunch contracts worked and decided that the federal program imposes too many operational limits. They believe they can better provide lunches to students by working with a vendor outside the federal system, even without federal reimbursement. ACAR leaders say they have adjusted their budget to ensure this plan is financially sustainable.

This is how lunch would work day-to-day under the new model:

·      Meals would be prepared off‑site by a contracted vendor and delivered to the school daily.

·      Food would be stored in temperature‑controlled equipment in the school’s existing lunch area.

·      School staff would oversee lunch service to keep lines moving and ensure meals are served on time.

·      No major kitchen upgrades are needed.

·      All food handling would still follow local health department rules and the school’s own safety policies.

If the school board approves the plan, ACAR would move step‑by‑step over about six months, which school officials say would give them enough time to prepare and keep families informed well before the school year begins.

Board Reaction

Rutherford County School Board members expressed concern over the plan’s budget, its potential impact on other schools, and possible compliance issues during Tuesday night’s work session.

Board Member Frances Rosales expressed trepidation about whether parents could still request free and reduced-price lunches for their students, to which Rutherford County Schools School Choice Coordinator Dr. Jeff McCann assured there would be no issues.

“ACAR does engage with the (Horizon Honors) program, which is what we use in our district to process our free and reduced lunch applications,” McCann said. “If they qualify for free or reduced lunch, the school pledges that they will make sure that they have meals provided to them at no cost.”

Another issue the board raised was the potential legal ramifications of this being the first waiver request of its kind in Tennessee. No other public or charter school has ever asked for one.

ACAR Office and Business Manager Miranda Greer said the school’s research has primarily focused on public schools in other states that have undergone similar changes.

The school will present its proposal again to the Rutherford County School Board during tomorrow’s regular meeting. A decision will be made by April 17.

American Classical Academy’s History

Members of the Rutherford County School Board approved American Classical Academy Rutherford in 2023 and it opened the following year in a LaVergne building just off I-24.

Four other school boards in Tennessee voted down similar charter applications from American Classical Education (ACE) in 2023.

The organization gained attention in Tennessee when Governor Bill Lee referenced it in his 2022 State of the State address. ACE has faced criticism since then for its connections to Hillsdale College and the controversial statementsHillsdale President Larry Arnn made about teachers on video.