There are concerns reduced funding to the government’s school lunch programme will continue to put the squeeze on at least one Gore school. Last year, the government’s Healthy School Lunches programme provided 242,000 students from 1015 schools and kura across the country — including nine primary and secondary schools in the wider Gore area with lunches on school days. Lunches for the programme, launched by the government in 2020, could be provided by an external supplier, an endorsed local meal provider or made in-house. In term one this year, payment for the meals was calculated based on the full roll of eligible schools. In term two, the payment to schools for cooking costs where staff were hired to provide meals in-house was based on 90% of student numbers. One high school that cooked meals on site has had to trim the spend in other areas so their students can be fed. After accounting for attendance rates Menzies College, with a roll of 360, had about 280 mouths to be fed every day.…