Parents in Benevento staged a protest outside Palazzo Mosti over delays and uncertainty surrounding the start of the school-meal service for the 2026/2027 school year.

The service had been expected to begin on 6 October but was postponed by about one week, with 13 October cited as the planned replacement date. As of the 8 October reports, the actual start date was not confirmed.

Why parents are concerned

At the centre of the dispute is the cooking centre at Beltiglio, in the municipality of Ceppaloni. Parents who took part in the demonstration described it as too distant and potentially inadequate for increased demand, and asked for a closer and suitably equipped facility.

According to NTR24, final regularisation of building works at the Beltiglio facility and the subsequent health-authority (ASL) authorisation remained unresolved. It was not established in the reports whether all required permits and ASL clearance would be in place before the proposed 13 October start.

The municipality attributed the postponement to logistical and organisational requirements, including the need to accommodate additional pupils who had not registered within the original deadline.

A further meeting on Monday

Local reports said a further meeting at Palazzo Mosti was scheduled for the following Monday with representatives of the canteen commission and the parents' committee. The outcome of that meeting was not yet available.

Background: registrations and planned capacity

Registration for the 2026/2027 school-meal service was conducted online, with renewals and new applications due by 11 September 2026, according to the City of Benevento.

In July, the municipality had said 1,000 meals plus a 20 percent reserve were guaranteed. It also said schools could consider allowing meals brought from home, although the reports do not establish that every school adopted that option.

The final number of pupils requiring meals, and whether capacity would be sufficient, had not been independently established.

What to watch

  • Whether the service starts on 13 October as planned, or is postponed again.
  • Whether the Beltiglio cooking centre receives the remaining building regularisation and ASL authorisation.
  • What is decided at the Monday meeting at Palazzo Mosti between the municipality, the canteen commission, and parents' representatives.

For families waiting for the service to begin, those three points remain the key unresolved issues.