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Show : Utah School-Lunch Program Outlined By Tax Foundation ) ' Approximately 7,5 00,000 lunches will be served in Utah's public schools during the present school year, under the school-lunch school-lunch program, sponsored jointly joint-ly by the State and Federal government, gov-ernment, points out the Utah Foundation, a non-profit tax study unit. A daily average of 44.700 students, stu-dents, or 30 per cent of the total public school enrollment participate parti-cipate in this program. Average cost of lunches served is 23 cents. Charges to students vary from 12 to 15 cents in the elementary school, and from 15 to 20 cents in the high schools. Two per cent of all lunches are provided free of charge to students stu-dents deemed unable to pay. Total cost of the school lunch program for the 1946-47 school year is estimated at $1,717,000. Of this amount, payments by students will account for $785,-000 $785,-000 or 46 per cent of the total cost. The state government will contribute $520,000, or 30 per cent of the total cost, which will be derived from the four per cent "sales tax on distilled liquors and wines. The Federal government will contribute $412,000 in cash and commodities, or 24 per cent of the total cost of thp nrnornm If Utah's school lunch program is expanded to include all public pub-lic schools in the state, the number num-ber of meals, served annually will approach 17,000,000, the Utah Foundation report points out. The total annual cost will exceed ex-ceed $4,000,000, according to an estimate of the Utah Department Depart-ment of Education. This estimate is based on the belief that 70 per cent of all students would purchase or receive free lunches under the program. In schools now offering school lunches, approximately 70 per cent of the students enrolled participate in the program. The school lunch program originated or-iginated in the days of make work projects, and was sponsored sponsor-ed jointly by the Federal government gov-ernment and the Parent-Teachers' Association, with other civic groups cooperating. The stated purpose of the program pro-gram at the time of the program's pro-gram's inception, was to feed needy and undernourished school children; to create employment and to provide non-commercial outlets for surplus agricultural commodities which the Federal government was purchasing in an effort to support prices. In 1942, the Federal government govern-ment gave notice of its intentions inten-tions to terminate financial support sup-port to the school lunch program, pro-gram, but state, county and municipal mun-icipal opposition brought about a continuation of the entire program pro-gram as originally established. |