National School Food Program – 2025 to 2027 Action Plan – Nova Scotia
Note: This action plan has been re-formatted to meet accessibility requirements of Government of Canada webpages.
On this page
- List of abbreviations
- Section 1 - Introduction/overview
- Section 2 - Implementation plan
- Appendix A - National school food policy principles summary table
- Section 3 - Indicators, targets and expected results
- Appendix B - Common reporting indicators table
- Section 4 - Expenditures
- Appendix C - Financial summary table
- Section 5 - Indigenous collaboration
- Section 6 - Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCS)
- Section 7 - Reporting
List of abbreviations
- AVCE
- Annapolis Valley Centre for Education
- CCRCE
- Chignecto Central Regional Centre for Education
- CSAP
- Conseil scolaire acadien provincial
- EECD
- Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
- HRCE
- Halifax Regional Centre for Education
- MK
- Mi-kmaw Kina'matnewey
- NNS
- Nourish Nova Scotia
- NSSLP
- Nova Scotia School Lunch Program
- PWYC
- Pay-what-you-can
- RCE
- Regional Centres for Education
- SHEP
- School Healthy Eating Program
Section 1 - Introduction/overview
School Food Programs in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia has been investing in school food for many years in response to both student need and evidence of the benefits to health and learning. Programming has evolved from breakfast programs only, to include snack programs and the lunch program.
A core principle of school food programming in Nova Scotia is that it be non-stigmatizing. This has informed the approach to all programs over the years and going forward. Programming also reflects the principles and objectives found in the National School Food Policy and Nova Scotia's School Food and Nutrition Policy, thereby promoting health and well-being for students, providing food that reflects healthy choices and establishes a foundation for lifelong healthy eating habits. Further, Nova Scotia's School Food programs strive to offer food and beverages that are grown, produced, or manufactured in Nova Scotia, Atlantic Canada, or Canada whenever possible.
School food investment
Nova Scotia's funding for school food is:
- 2024 to 2025: $33,937,321 (actual)
- 2025 to 2026: $82,305,333 million (budget forecast)
- 2026 to 2027: $102,305,333 million (budget forecast)
Nova Scotia's priority areas for investment for each fiscal year
The School Healthy Eating Program (SHEP) - 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027
- Overall, the objective is that the breakfast program is stabilized, with the goal of there being no shortages in breakfast programs across all schools, a more robust program offering in terms of the amount of food and continuation of the program throughout the school year
- Nova Scotia's breakfast program, the School Healthy Eating Program (SHEP), will continue to be present in some form in all of the province's 372Footnote 1 public schools, offered at no cost to students
- Snack programs will continue to vary by school, generally funded by the schools themselves or through partnerships with community, such as the fresh fruit baskets donated by local farmers. Snacks will continue to be offered at no cost to students
- Departments such as the Department of Agriculture will invest in school food programming, with supports such as pilot projects, free fresh fruit baskets, and subsidized milk programs in schools
- Separate from the SHEP budget, the province will continue to provide annual funding for school breakfast to the Mi-kmaw Kina'matnewey (MK) school board which has oversight to schools in Mi'kmaq communities
The Nova Scotia School Lunch Program (NSSLP)
- In 2024 to 2025, the focus was on the youngest students, including older grades where it made sense to do so due to school configuration (for example, a school with grades pre-primary to 5 also included older grades). In 2024 to 2025, the NSSLP was provided to 258 schools
- The 2024 to 2025 provincial budget included funding for 10 FTEs to ensure a school food lead in each region and within the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (EECD). These staff were hired in the spring and summer 2024. In 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027, the province will continue to provide funding for 10 FTEs
- In 2025 to 2026, the province will expand program availability to middle and junior high schools (n=76). Additional menu options will also be made available, including a gluten-free menu optionFootnote 2
- In 2026 to 2027, the NSSLP will be expanded to all high schools (n=37), thereby offering the NSSLP to all public schools that are part of the Regional Centres for Education (RCEs) who operate Nova Scotia's Anglophone schools, and the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP) who operates Nova Scotia's Francophone schools
- In 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027, the province will continue to provide funding to the MK school board to provide a school lunch program in all schools in Mi'kmaq communities (for all funding to the MK school board, the province does not have policy oversight but provides support as requested)
- In 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027, the province will also address lessons learned related to program quality. The NSSLP has three models: the self-operated model, where meals are prepared onsite by staff employed by the school or RCE; the vendor onsite model, where a vendor is contracted to prepare and serve the meals onsite at the school; and the offsite vendor model, where a vendor is contracted to prepare meals offsite and deliver them to school. The latter model is most common in the Halifax region where fewer schools have kitchens. Early learnings have indicated that the offsite model presents the most challenge in ensuring meals are appetizing and maintain appropriate temperature. Therefore, a number of schools are being identified to move from an offsite to an onsite model, where it is feasible. This will require additional equipment, kitchen supplies and space upgrades (for example, industrial ovens for newly added schools). Federal funding will augment provincial funding to undertake this work
School food programs in Nova Scotia
- The stabilization and robustness of SHEP and the expansion of the NSSLP over 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027 will be supported by enhancements to the overall program structure. These improvements, enhancements and expansions will be supported by the testing of additional menu options for lunch (recipe development); additional kitchen supplies; support for food vendor and food supplier procurement, one additional school food program lead, a dedicated Quality Assurance Manager; project management support; and additional equipment for kitchens, kitchen supplies and space upgrades (such as, industrial ovens for newly added schools)
- An operations manager will be hired who will further support broader monitoring and evaluation processes and goals. Data on meal uptake and student satisfaction will be collected through the ordering platform and RCE/school-based reporting, and internal student and kitchen testing to inform recipe changes and menu development. Implementation assessments and regular meetings identify challenges and track improvements. These efforts ensure transparency, responsiveness, and continuous program refinement
- It has become clear that schools with kitchens can address or more easily overcome program delivery challenges such as food temperature and quality. Therefore, as the province builds new schools, specifications for kitchens will be included as will consideration of whether school kitchens can act as hubs for other schools that do not have kitchens
- The province will continue to administer funds to a non-profit called Nourish Nova Scotia (NNS) to provide community support for healthy school food, incorporating healthy food into the school curriculum, and to undertake special projects such as school gardens. NNS is the provincial government's non-profit partner in school food and receives an annual grant. Businesses and individuals can also make donations to schools or the RCEs/CSAP in support of school food
Section 2 - Implementation plan
The following outlines the planned activities, objectives and main areas of focus for how Nova Scotia will expend federal funding in fiscal years 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027.
2025 to 2026 Federal funding and Nova Scotia's implementation plan
Overall, 2025 to 2026 federal funding will allow for extension of the provincial breakfast program (SHEP) throughout the school year, support for the expansion of the school lunch program (NSSLP) to middle and junior high schools, along with some improvements for schools launched in 2024 to 2025, and allow for further recipe testing as needed.
Nova Scotia will continue to deliver, expand and/or enhance school food programming consistent with the principles and objectives outlined in the National School Food Policy.
Breakfast program extension
SHEP requires additional funding to be able to extend it throughout the school year. Funds are distributed to all schools via the RCEs/CSAP. Increasing food costs and increased demand on the program have meant that program funds are often exhausted midway through the school year. The education system as well as partners in health and community services work to identify different sources, but this is not a sustainable solution. Additional funding from the federal government will ensure the program is better able to meet the needs of students throughout the school year.
Recipe and menu development - Lunch
In 2024 to 2025, the NSSLP had a provincially standardized menu which offered 40 meals (2 choices per day, 1 vegetarian) over a 4-week period. The menu was developed with support from the education system, Public Health Nutritionists, and the services of a professional recipe tester. Federal funding in 2024 to 2025 supported testing of the recipes to ensure quality and efficient recipes. It also allowed for the development of more gluten-friendly recipes which will be available in the 2025 to 2026 school year.
In 2025 to 2026, to further accommodate diverse dietary needs, the province will identify other special menu options for testing and development for taste, scalability, cost, and/or operational difficulty. Additional menu development supports the provincial and federal goals of inclusive programming.
The menu strategy is guided by feedback from students, school communities, and food service providers, as well as by nutritional standards and operational practicality. In 2025 to 2026, the program will continue to offer two entrée options daily, one of which is vegetarian. A gluten-friendly approach will be integrated where feasible, without expanding beyond the current two-choice structure. All meals align with the Nova Scotia School Food and Nutrition Policy, emphasizing vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins while minimizing ultra-processed foods. Ingredient transparency and allergen awareness are central to the strategy, with vegetarian and gluten-friendly items clearly flagged and full ingredient lists available through both the program website and ordering platform. The menu continues to evolve through meaningful engagement, including recipe validation in partnership with Canada's Smartest Kitchen and in-school testing with students and kitchen staff, supported by built-in feedback mechanisms. The menu will expand from a 4-week rotation to a 6-week cycle by September 2025, and to an 8-week rotation by 2026, supporting greater variety and seasonal flexibility.
Examples of menu items newly developed for Year 2 (2025 to 2026) of the program include: roasted potatoes with bean chili and corn, sweet and sour veggie bites with rice and vegetables, veggie burger with glazed carrots, sheet pan pancakes with turkey vegetable sausage, chicken or chickpea nuggets with roasted potato wedges and green peas, beef goulash, roast chicken dinner with mashed potatoes and vegetables, BBQ chicken drumstick with mac and cheese side, and a savory vegetable muffin with yogurt and fruit.
Monitoring and evaluation are being embedded throughout program delivery. A Quality Assurance Manager will be hired to oversee contract compliance, food quality, and vendor performance - particularly in regions relying on the complex offsite model.
Improvements are being made to the program in response to parent and school staff feedback from the 2024 to 2025 year. In the fall, school communities will see:
- new kid-approved menu options
- sustainable packaging
- a more seamless ordering experience
- improved delivery and service standards.
Equipment and space upgrades - Lunch
The expansion of the NSSLP to 76 middle and junior high schools in 2025 to 2026 necessitates the purchase of additional equipment, kitchen supplies and space upgrades (for example, industrial ovens for newly added schools) to enable program expansion into these schools, based on health and safety requirements and operational requirements. Federal investment will augment the provincial investment, enabling the program to reach approximately 29,227 more students.
Further, some of the NSSLP schools in 2024 to 2025 were established using the offsite vendor model where a vendor is contracted to prepare meals offsite and deliver them to school. This model is the most challenging in ensuring meals are appetizing and maintain appropriate temperature. Therefore, a number of schools are being identified where it is feasible to move from an offsite to an onsite model, either where meals are prepared onsite by staff employed by the school or RCE, or the vendor onsite model where a vendor is contracted to prepare and serve the meals onsite at the school. This will require additional equipment, kitchen supplies and space upgrades (for example, industrial ovens for newly added schools). The province will implement this on a rolling basis in the years ahead, gradually moving more schools to an onsite model.
As Nova Scotia builds new schools, specs for kitchens will be included, as well as consideration of whether school kitchens can act as hubs for other schools that do not have kitchens.
Personnel - Lunch
Delivery of the NSSLP in 2024 to 2025 utilized federal funds for three school food program leads. Two leads were assigned to the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE), which contains 60% of the student population. The third school lead was assigned to the Annapolis Valley Centre for Education (AVCE). With the expansion to middle and junior high schools in 2025 to 2026, an additional school food lead is needed for the Chignecto Central Regional Centre for Education (CCRCE). Also, a dedicated Quality Assurance Manager (modeled after a similar position in PEI) is needed for the HRCE, as there are fewer schools with kitchens and therefore, they predominantly utilize the more complex off-site vendor model which has meant associated contract management requirements and food quality assurance needs.
Project management supports - Lunch
As additional schools (76 middle and junior high schools) are onboarded to the NSSLP in 2025 to 2026, project management support will be engaged to support the expansion. Federal funds for project management will support a current state assessment and implementation support for the lunch program in these newly onboarded schools. In addition, initial planning for the next phase of the NSSLP will begin, to enable the onboarding of the remaining 37 high schools in the 2026 to 2027 school year.
2026 to 2027 Federal Funding and Nova Scotia's Implementation Plan
Overall, 2026 to 2027 federal funding will allow for extension of the provincial breakfast program (SHEP) and expansion of the school lunch program (NSSLP) to 37 high schools. By 2026, vegetarian and additional gluten free options will already be available to students, but further recipe testing will be undertaken as needed to identify opportunities to accommodate additional diverse dietary needs such as allergy-safe, lactose-free, halal, or kosher meals where possible. Vegetarian and gluten-friendly meals will be identified as such on the NSSLP website.
Breakfast program extension
SHEP requires additional funding to be able to extend it throughout the school year. Funds are distributed to all schools via the RCEs/CSAP. Increasing food costs and increased demand on the program have meant that program funds are often exhausted midway through the school year. The education system as well as partners in health and community services work to identify different sources, but this is not a sustainable solution. Additional funding from the federal government will ensure the program is better able to meet the needs of students throughout the school year.
Recipe and menu development - Lunch
In 2024 to 2025, the NSSLP had a provincially standardized menu which offered 40 meals (2 choices per day, 1 vegetarian) over a 4-week period. The menu was developed with support from the education system, Public Health Nutritionists, and the services of a professional recipe tester. Further improvements will be made in 2025 to 2026.
As such, in 2026 to 2027, recipe testing/development and menu improvements undertaken will be to better address taste, scalability, cost, and/or operational difficulty. Additional work will occur to identify opportunities to accommodate additional diverse dietary needs such as allergy-safe, lactose-free, halal, or kosher meals.
Equipment and space upgrades - Lunch
The expansion of the NSSLP to 37 more schools in 2026 to 2027, to onboard high schools, will require additional equipment, kitchen supplies and space upgrades (for example, industrial ovens for newly added schools), enabling health and safety requirements and operational requirements to be addressed. Federal investment will augment the provincial investment.
Further, for previously onboarded NSSLP schools that were established using the offsite vendor model (where a vendor is contracted to prepare meals offsite and deliver them to a school), where possible a shift to another delivery model will be investigated and implemented where feasible. This model is the most challenging in ensuring meals are appetizing and maintain appropriate temperature. A review will be undertaken to identify if it is feasible to move any additional schools from an offsite to an onsite model, either where meals are prepared onsite by staff employed by the school or RCE, or the vendor onsite model where a vendor is contracted to prepare and serve the meals onsite at the school.
This will require additional equipment, kitchen supplies and space upgrades (for example, industrial ovens for newly added schools).
Personnel - Lunch
The four school food program leads from 2025 to 2026 will continue to be needed in the regions they are supporting, as well as the quality assurance manager to be hired in 2025 to 2026. It is anticipated that this staff complement will be sufficient to manage the expansion of the school lunch program into high schools in 2026 to 2027.
Project management supports - Lunch
As additional schools (37 high schools) are onboarded to the NSSLP in 2026 to 2027, project management support will be utilized to enable implementation and expansion, and will include change management, program design, implementation, and technology support.
Progress on each of the six principles and associated objectives of the National School Food Policy
Accessibility
- A core principle of school food programming in Nova Scotia is that it be non-stigmatizing. This has informed the approach to all programs over the years and going forward. Equitable access means that all students throughout Nova Scotia have the option of accessing school food programs, and at no cost for the breakfast and lunch program. The lunch program allows students and families to confidentially contribute if they choose through a pay-what-you-can (PWYC) model
- The breakfast program (SHEP) will be stabilized, with the goal of there being no shortages in breakfast programs across all schools, allowing continuation of the program further through the school year. Historically, increasing food costs and increased demand on the program meant that program funds have been exhausted midway throughout the school year
- In 2025 to 2026, the lunch program (NSSLP) will be expanded to middle and junior high schools, expanding eligibility to an additional 76 schools and 29,227 more students
- In 2026 to 2027, the lunch program will be expanded to high schools, expanding eligibility to an additional 37 schools and an estimated 29,593 more students
Health promoting and inclusive
- Programming will continue to reflect the principles and objectives found in the National School Food Policy and Nova Scotia's School Food and Nutrition Policy, thereby promoting health and well-being for students, providing food that reflects healthy choices and establishes a foundation for lifelong healthy eating habits
- The NSSLP will offer additional menu options and menu modifications to accommodate diverse dietary needs, specifically a gluten free menu option. Vegetarian options have been offered daily since the program began. Numerous gluten free options have been added to the menu in the 2025 to 2026 school year, while other recipes have been reformulated without gluten. Vegetarian and gluten-friendly meals will be identified as such on the NSSLP website
- By 2026, further recipe testing will be undertaken as needed with an effort to identify opportunities to accommodate additional diverse dietary needs such as allergy-safe, lactose-free, halal, or kosher meals where possible
Flexible and sustainable
Local food
- Food purchases will continue to be locally sourced where feasible. A guiding principle of Nova Scotia's School Food and Nutrition Policy and Nova Scotia's School Food programs is to strive to offer foods that are grown, produced, or manufactured in Nova Scotia, Atlantic Canada, or Canada whenever possible
- Nova Scotia continues to prioritize local food and supplies sourcing. All third-party vendors contracted to deliver school lunches are required, under Request for Proposal and contract terms, to source at least 20% of food ingredients by value from Nova Scotia producers and suppliers. This approach supports local agriculture and strengthens regional food systems
- Flexibility is also embedded through flexible and seasonal substitutions-schools and vendors can adjust ingredients based on local harvest cycles and availability while maintaining menu standards, and leverage their relationships with local suppliers, as onsite and hub kitchen capacity grows, so will opportunities for regional adaptation, including sourcing from nearby producers to reflect Nova Scotia community food culture and availability
Sustainable
- Beginning in 2025 to 2026, NSSLP vendors will be required to use only recyclable containers for individual lunch packages
- Strategies to reduce food waste include:
- moving toward onsite and hub kitchen models (compared to offsite models) regarding food preparation allows better control over portioning, temperature, and student preferences, leading to fewer uneaten meals
- menu optimization, portion size validation, and enhanced meal appeal (based on stakeholder feedback)
- recipe testing prioritizes taste and operational feasibility to improve uptake
- Procurement is informed by real-time participation data and pre-order systems that align production with actual demand
- during unanticipated school closures, vendors are required to coordinate with schools to adjust or redirect meals, including for donation where appropriate
- the province is exploring pilot initiatives for waste tracking to support continuous improvement
- NSSLP vendors will be required to use only recyclable containers for individual lunch packages
Accountable
- Monitoring and evaluation will continue
Appendix A - National School Food Policy principles summary table
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| National School Food Policy Principle | Initiative Name(s)Footnote 4 | Targets (See Appendix B: Common Reporting Indicators Table) |
Total Investment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accessibility |
|
Majority of schools providing additional menu options/menu modifications to support dietary needs and be inclusive |
Provincial investment:
Federal investment:
|
| Health Promoting and Inclusive |
|
Majority of schools providing additional menu options/menu modifications to support dietary needs and be inclusive |
Provincial investment:
Federal investment:
|
| Flexible and Sustainable |
|
N/A | N/A |
| Accountable | Monitoring and evaluation of the Nova Scotia's school food program continues | N/A | N/A |
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| National School Food Policy Principle | Initiative Name(s)Footnote 4 | Targets (See Appendix B: Common Reporting Indicators Table) |
Total Investment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accessibility, Inclusive and Health Promoting |
|
Majority of schools providing additional menu options/menu modifications to support dietary needs and be inclusive |
Provincial investment:
Federal investment (Estimated):
|
| Flexible and Sustainable |
|
N/A | N/A |
| Accountable | Monitoring and evaluation of the Nova Scotia's school food program continues | Reports as per the Canada-NS School Food Agreement | N/A |
Section 3 - Indicators, targets and expected results
Nova Scotia commits to report annually to Canada, no later than October 1 of each year, on common indicators as outlined in the common indicators table in Appendix B, along with targets to be reached by June 2026 and by June 2027.
Federal funds are used solely to support school meal programming for children and youth ages 4-18 years old. Any meal programming supported in adult high schools is funded through the provincial budget.
Appendix B - Common reporting indicators table
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Indicator | Fiscal Year 2023 to 2024Footnote 6 (Baseline*) | Fiscal Year 2025 to 2026 (Targets**) |
|---|---|---|
| Number of schools with school breakfast programs | 373Footnote 7 | 372Footnote 8 |
| Number of children eligible to participate in enhanced breakfast programs | 131,343 | 133,345 |
| Number of children participating in school breakfast programs | 51,223 | 52,000 |
- * For the previous school year/prior to federal funding
- ** To reach by end of June each school year
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Indicator | Fiscal Year 2023 to 2024Footnote 6 (Baseline*) | Fiscal Year 2025 to 2026 (Targets**) |
|---|---|---|
| Number of schools with the school lunch program | N/A | 334 |
| Number of children eligible to participate in school lunch programs | N/A | 103,752Footnote 11 |
| Number of children participating in school lunch programs | N/A | 51,875 |
| Number of schools offering school lunch programs that accommodate diverse dietary needs (such as allergy-safe, gluten free, lactose-free, halal, kosher, vegetarian, etc.) | N/A | 334Footnote 12 |
| Number of re-tested recipes available in the Nova Scotia School Lunch Program | N/A | 40 |
| Number of recipes available that consider special dietary needs | N/A | 40 |
| Number of pieces of equipment purchased in support of school foodFootnote 13 | N/A | 276 |
| Number of full-time equivalent staff supporting school food at the regional level | N/A | 14 |
- * For the previous school year/prior to federal funding
- ** To reach by end of June each school year
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Indicator | Fiscal Year 2023 to 2024Footnote 6 (Baseline*) | Fiscal Year 2025 to 2026 (Targets**) |
|---|---|---|
| Number of schools with school breakfast programs | 373Footnote 7 | 372Footnote 8 |
| Number of children eligible to participate in enhanced breakfast programs | 131,343 | 133,345 |
| Number of children participating in school breakfast programs | 51,223 | 52,000 |
- * For the previous school year/prior to federal funding
- ** To reach by end of June each school year
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Indicator | Fiscal Year 2023 to 2024Footnote 6 (Baseline*) | Fiscal Year 2025 to 2026 (Targets**) |
|---|---|---|
| Number of schools with the school lunch program | N/A | 372 |
| Number of children eligible to participate in school lunch programs | N/A | 133,345 |
| Number of children participating in the school lunch program | N/A | 66,700 |
| Number of schools offering school lunch programs that accommodate diverse dietary needs (such as allergy-safe, gluten free, lactose-free, halal, kosher, vegetarian, etc.) | N/A | 372 |
| Number of recipes available that consider special dietary needs | N/A | 50 |
| Number of pieces of equipment purchased in support of school foodFootnote 13 | N/A | 134 |
| Number of full-time equivalent staff supporting school food at the regional level | N/A | 14 |
- * For the previous school year/prior to federal funding
- ** To reach by end of June each school year
Section 4 - Expenditures
The full amount of funding in 2024 to 2025 was carried over to 2025 to 2026. In the case of the breakfast program expansion, the allotted funding was used in the 2024 to 2025 school year, but after the fiscal year start date of April 1, 2025. All remaining funding will be applied to the budget line for equipment.
School Healthy Eating Program breakfast program expansion
Although this program is provincially funded, rising food costs and increased demand have meant that program funds are exhausted in the Fall. Additional funds will allow the program to operate through the school year without pressure on the system and partners to identify additional funds. The 2024 to 2025 budget of $801,713 was carried over to fiscal year 2025 to 2026 but was used in the 2024 to 2025 school year (April 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025).
- 2025 to 2026 - Estimated cost: $1,905,726
- 2026 to 2027 - Estimated cost: $1,867,732
Recipe and menu development - Lunch
In 2025 to 2026, the province will engage with a professional recipe tester/menu developer to establish more gluten-friendly menu options. In 2026 to 2027, the province will engage with a professional recipe tester/menu developer to identify additional options to accommodate other dietary needs where possible. In both years, remaining funds, if any, will be used to test existing menu options as needed to better address taste, scalability, cost, and/or operational difficulty. The 2024 to 2025 budget of $200,000 was carried over to fiscal year 2025 to 2026 and will be reallocated to the equipment budget.
- 2025 to 2026 - Estimated cost: $30,000
- 2026 to 2027 - Estimated cost: $30,000
Equipment
In 2025 to 2026, the province will purchase additional equipment, kitchen supplies and undertake space upgrades (for example, industrial ovens for newly added schools), to enable program expansion into 77 middle and junior high schools, based on health and safety requirements and operational requirements and support effective kitchen operations including food preparation and waste management. In 2025 to 2026, the province will purchase additional equipment, kitchen supplies and undertake space upgrades (for example, industrial ovens for newly added schools), to enable program expansion into 37 high schools. In both years, any remaining funds will be used to purchase similar items to enable pre-identified schools with existing off-site vendor models to move to on-site vendor models. The 2024 to 2025 budget of $1,179,802 was carried over to fiscal year 2025 to 2026 and will remain allocated to the equipment budget. Other funding carried over from 2024 to 2025 that was not allocated to the SHEP Breakfast Program expansion has been reallocated to the equipment budget. The total amount reallocated is $2,229,802.
- 2025 to 2026 - Estimated cost: $4,195,652
- 2026 to 2027 - Estimated cost: $1,623,281
Personnel - Lunch
Staffing support continuation from the 2024 to 2025 year is needed (3.0 FTEs), and 1 additional staffing support (1.0 FTE) is needed for the CCRCE. A dedicated quality assurance manager (1.0 FTE) also needs to be added to reflect program expansion over 2025 to 2027 and to ensure quality control in regions where there are a high number of contractors due to the off-site delivery model for schools with no kitchen. In total, 5.0 full-time equivalent positions are needed at a cost of $113,000 per position. The 2024 to 2025 budget of $150,000 was carried over to fiscal year 2025 to 2026 and will be reallocated to the equipment budget.
- 2025 to 2026 - Estimated cost: $565,000
- 2026 to 2027 - Estimated cost: $565,000
Project management supports
The province has hired a vendor to support the education system in expanding the NSSLP to middle and junior high schools (Phase 2 of the school lunch program in 2025 to 2026) and to high schools (Phase 3 of the school lunch program in 2026 to 2027). The 2024 to 2025 budget of $400,000 was carried over to fiscal year 2025 to 2026 and will be reallocated to the equipment budget.
- 2025 to 2026 - Estimated cost: $721,150
- 2026 to 2027 - Estimated cost: $300,000
Administration
Administrative activities to support implementation of the National School Food Program in Nova Scotia. The 2024 to 2025 budget of $300,000 was carried over to fiscal year 2025 to 2026 and will be reallocated to the equipment budget.
- 2025 to 2026 - Estimated cost: $300,000
- 2026 to 2027 - Estimated cost: $300,000
Appendix C - Financial summary table
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Category | Anticipated spending |
|---|---|
| SHEP Breakfast | $1,905,726 |
| Personnel | $565,000 |
| Equipment and Infrastructure | $4,195,652 |
| Recipe Development | $30,000 |
| Administration | $300,000 |
| Project ManagementFootnote 14 | $721,150 |
Note: The following table was modified for accessibility reasons.
| Category | Anticipated spending |
|---|---|
| SHEP Breakfast | $1,867,732 |
| Personnel | $565,000 |
| Equipment and Infrastructure | $1,623,281 |
| Recipe Development | $30,000 |
| Administration | $300,000 |
| Project Management | $300,000 |
Section 5 - Indigenous collaboration
The province will continue to provide funds for school breakfast and lunch to the Mi-kmaw Kina'matnewey (MK) school board which has oversight to schools in Mi'kmaq communities. These funds are administered by Nova Scotia Health.
Nova Scotia Education and Early Childhood Development (EECD) engages periodically with both the MK School Board and EECD's Indigenous Services Branch. MK creates and implements their breakfast and lunch program tailored to MK school communities. The province has offered any supports from the project team, such as the recipes/menu, program guides, or project support, but does not have oversight to the delivery of the program in Indigenous schools. Traditional dishes have been included in the provincial menu.
The Regional Centres for Education have worked with the Mi'kmaw Bands to ensure access for membership students attending public schools. This has evolved in different ways depending on the community.
Section 6 - Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs)
Nova Scotia's Conseil Scolaire Acadien Provincial (CSAP) is the schoolboard that operates Francophone schools in Nova Scotia. Along with the RCEs which operate Anglophone schools, CSAP was and continues to be an integral part of the project team. CSAP will continue to be provided with funding for a 1.0 Full-time-equivalent school food lead along with all of the other budget supports to launch Phase 2 and 3 of their school lunch program like their counterparts in the RCEs. All materials, including program guides, recipes, and the online ordering and payment system are available in both official languages. Traditional Acadian dishes such as Rappie Pie and a chicken stew inspired by Acadian Chicken Fricot were included in the menu in honour of Acadian culture. A parent survey (evaluation) was conducted in French in 2024 and had approximately 3,000 responses. Two regions with high concentrations of Acadian descendants are offering rappie pie in their menu options. French-language schools receive the same support for quality improvement as all other public schools in the province.
Section 7 - Reporting
The Government of Nova Scotia commits to preparing an annual report and audited financial statement with Canada for each fiscal year, no later than October 1, 2025, October 1, 2026, and October 1, 2027, outlining the investments and results of the previous fiscal year. The annual reports will report results for common indicators as set out in Section 3 of the Action Plan, a narrative description of the activities, expenditures and results, as set out in Section 2 of the Action Plan, and describe any consultation processes.