Urban School Food Alliance adds another district to its fold

Boston Public Schools is the latest district to join the Urban School Food Alliance, a nonprofit group that aims to help districts provide high-quality student meals while keeping costs down.

With the addition of Boston, the Alliance includes 11 schools and says it now reaches nearly 3.7 million students. The group has grown its total purchasing power to $831 million in food and supplies as it continues to increase its membership.

“Thanks to support from the Kendall Foundation, Boston’s membership in the Alliance will serve our mission of increasing access to locally and sustainably produced food, and allows the district to explore emerging best practices in providing safe, wholesome, nutritious and delicious food for our students,” Laura Benavidez, executive director of food and nutrition services for BPS, said in a statement.

Other districts in the Alliance include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Clark County in Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Miami, Orange County in Orlando and Broward County in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.