Schools in Fiambalá face debt crisis over student meal funding

Schools in the Fiambalá department of Catamarca, Argentina, are facing a severe financial crisis due to insufficient state funding for student meal programs. Rural educational institutions in the Tinogasta region have been forced to accumulate debts ranging from two to five million pesos by purchasing supplies on credit from local merchants to ensure students receive daily lunches.

Community members and educators from Provincial School No. 224 have formally requested intervention from the Program of Equal Opportunities (PIO). They report that the current budget allocation method is inadequate, as it uses price benchmarks from the provincial capital while ignoring the significantly higher costs of freight and distribution in the interior, where prices can be 100% to 150% higher. The crisis is further exacerbated by the transition of several institutions from single-shift to full-day schedules without a corresponding increase in funds for meals and snacks.