The start of a brand new school year is now less than a month away and the School Lunch Association is beginning their preparations to bring nutritious meals to kids across the province.

Executive Director John Finn says August is a very busy time for their administrative team.

He says they have over 100 staff that work in schools throughout the year. Currently, they’re in the process of recalling staff and getting those positions filled. They’re also talking with their vendors about food pricing for the coming year.

The association will receive more funding from the provincial government thanks to revenues generated through the sugar tax coming into effect on September 1.

Finn says they used to get about $125,000 from the province, now they will be getting about $500,000.

With the high cost of living right now and inflation on food prices, Finn says the additional money is a “game changer.” He says the prices of some foods had gone up 100 per cent, and the extra money will go a long way.