FWIW, when I lived in various parts of the rural US, the schools frequently served seasonal ethnically-congruous cuisine from local ingredients. By "ethnically-congruous", I mean reflecting the historical ethnicity of the population. When I lived in a small town in the middle of the US that was ethnically Czech, a fair bit of the food at school was also ethnically Czech, even though none of them were immigrants. Often made by local grannies. Same situation when I lived on the Palouse, where the local schools often featured the local agricultural ingredients. Notably lentils and peas; not common in schools generally but ubiquitously grown in that part of the Palouse.
However, when I lived in the cities, the bad school food you mention was endemic.
There is quite a lot of local cuisine and food culture around the US, most people don't bother to find it if they are just passing through.
However, when I lived in the cities, the bad school food you mention was endemic.
There is quite a lot of local cuisine and food culture around the US, most people don't bother to find it if they are just passing through.