Audrey Rowe, the top Administrator for the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Washington, D.C., is scheduled to visit Brownsville ISD. Administrator Rowe is touring BISD’s innovative food service programs including the newly remodeled cafeteria at Skinner Elementary School which was specifically designed to encourage and support student reading. Most recently, Rowe served as Deputy Administrator for Special Nutrition Programs at FNS, leading the effort to pass the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, the legislative centerpiece of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative to end childhood obesity related to FNS programs. Her leadership has included roles as Human Resources Administrator in New Haven, Connecticut, and Social Services Commissioner for the State of Connecticut and the District of Columbia. FNS provides children and needy families with better access to food and a more healthful diet through its 15 national nutrition assistance programs and nutrition education efforts. The BISD FNS provides 41,000 student breakfasts and 41,000 school lunches each day with a $35 million budget. The FNS department operates under the USDA nationally and the Texas Department of Agriculture at the state level. The Special Assistance 2 Provision has allowed BISD to serve all students one free breakfast and lunch meal per day, free of charge, since 1992. BISD also offers free meals to children, ages 0-18, each summer.
