Gar Gaar Family Services sought to reverse the state Education Department s decision to deny the Minneapolis nonprofit from participating in a meals program.
The Minnesota Department of Education rejected Gar Gaar Family Services from a federally funded meal program in December 2021, one month before the FBI s investigation into Feeding Our Future became public.
The department is determining next steps with Youth Leadership Academy, also known as Gar Gaar Family Services, which applied to serve meals during the school year.
The summer program spiked in Minnesota during the pandemic. Last summer, providers reported to the state that they dished out 37.3 million meals, up from 21.9 million meals in 2020 and 3.5 million meals in 2019. Part of that rise is because schools could extend the summer program during the school year amid the pandemic.
Youth Leadership Academy, a newly formed Minneapolis nonprofit, was the top provider in Minnesota of summer meals last year reporting dishing out 7 million meals.