Are there existing groups advocating for change in school-provided food for FCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They’re having a lot of supply chain issues. There are multiple school boards members working on this. Melanie Meren jumps to mind. There are also established groups who focus on this.

We are in Meren’s district and in fact in ‘her’ school but don’t recall hearing anything about cafetaria food from her.

[Anonymous]

You realize the cost of food nationally has risen so much that everything is unaffordable? You realize that now school lunch is free to ALL students whether or not that is necessary?

There you go. You want change? Take it up with the White House.

[Anonymous]

I’m going to miss universal free lunch next year. I’m happy to not have to pack for my 7 year old. I worked at a DoD school overseas and one my duties was monitoring the 1st graders at lunch. The quality of the packed lunches from home was terrible. Absolutely all processed American junk. It’s easy for those of us who come from a place of privilege and knowledge to critique the free lunch at school. But for many children, it’s much healthier than the gas station convenience store lunches their parents are sending them to school. That being said I miss the school lunches of 2015; they seemed much healthier. But I think school divisions all over the country are having supply chain issues with school lunches. It would be so nice if they could bring back to salad bars.

[Anonymous]

It's expensive Op.

Having said that, I do question how the SB appropriates funding. Maybe a few less flying in $80k guest speakers and more money allocated to, at the least, decent food.


We are still waiting for a salad bar at my kid's ES.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You realize the cost of food nationally has risen so much that everything is unaffordable? You realize that now school lunch is free to ALL students whether or not that is necessary?

There you go. You want change? Take it up with the White House.

Yes and schools get most of the $ to pay for food from the federal government and sales of junk food. Prior to covid most operated on a razor thin budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's expensive Op.

Having said that, I do question how the SB appropriates funding. Maybe a few less flying in $80k guest speakers and more money allocated to, at the least, decent food.


We are still waiting for a salad bar at my kid's ES.

FCPS has 187,000 students. $80K is a single half day's worth of food. You want to have something to allocate to decent food you're going to have to cut something much greater in the budget...like reducing the free student lunches from 100% of the population to 40%.

The food and nutrition fund is $84 million a year. Check it yourself. That translates to a cost of $2 million per a week for 40 weeks to feed all of the kids.

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/FY-2022-Program-Budget.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's expensive Op.

Having said that, I do question how the SB appropriates funding. Maybe a few less flying in $80k guest speakers and more money allocated to, at the least, decent food.


We are still waiting for a salad bar at my kid's ES.

FCPS has 187,000 students. $80K is a single half day's worth of food. You want to have something to allocate to decent food you're going to have to cut something much greater in the budget...like reducing the free student lunches from 100% of the population to 40%.

The food and nutrition fund is $84 million a year. Check it yourself. That translates to a cost of $2 million per a week for 40 weeks to feed all of the kids.

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/FY-2022-Program-Budget.pdf

School food is expensive, but the cost of free meals for all kids since the pandemic was fully supported by the Federal government through waivers allowed by laws passed by Congress to address Covid issues.

Those waivers also allowed some lowering of nutrition standards, from the already lower standards pushed forward in the previous administration. The new administration is working to bring the standards back up to where they need to be, but it will take time. The Covid flexibilities also provided extra funds per meal, which was handy as schools met supply chain issues.

Congress decided not to continue the flexibilities that allowed free meals for all in the last approps bill, including disallowing the menu flexibilities. That also means less money per meal in the next school year. So expect meals to go back to early 2020 nutrition standards next school year. Unfortunately, unlike early 2020,food is more expensive, supply chain issues are still significant, and labor challenges are real.

I’m not saying don’t advocate for change, but this is the reality you are up against.

[Anonymous]

We need to provide proper food which is especially critical for those children who depend on school breakfast and lunch for their nutrition. Instead school systems are spending millions of $$ on promoting nonsense political agendas.

[Anonymous]

Not in FCPS, but my kid does go to a school with a majority of students from families with low income in a district where 85% of families are low income. The ingredients are supplied by Aramark but there is a real cook and assistant in the kitchen and meals are made in house. Next week it looks like they are having a pasta bake, roast bbq chicken, chicken noodle soup, tacos, pizza (and vegetarian options). It's great and it is possible. My formerly super picky kid eats the meals and says they are good or at least okay and that most of the kids eat the food. I like it that they get a hardy hot meal. I've been in schools where lunch is one of those prepackaged peanutbutter and jelly on graham cracker sandwiches, prepackaged apple slices, and frozen juice and that is just sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not in FCPS, but my kid does go to a school with a majority of students from families with low income in a district where 85% of families are low income. The ingredients are supplied by Aramark but there is a real cook and assistant in the kitchen and meals are made in house. Next week it looks like they are having a pasta bake, roast bbq chicken, chicken noodle soup, tacos, pizza (and vegetarian options). It's great and it is possible. My formerly super picky kid eats the meals and says they are good or at least okay and that most of the kids eat the food. I like it that they get a hardy* hot meal. I've been in schools where lunch is one of those prepackaged peanutbutter and jelly on graham cracker sandwiches, prepackaged apple slices, and frozen juice and that is just sad.

*hearty, I knew that didn't look right

[Anonymous]

https://www.realfoodforkids.org/

This is the organization you’re looking for, OP. They helped usher in the salad bars. Hopefully the bars will return next fall. As someone who works in an FCPS, there are aspects of the meals that have improved greatly: the fresh fruits and veggies. Kids at my Title 1 school actually eat and enjoy them. They’re not canned. They’re fresh cut peppers, carrots, etc.

The issue I have is with the portions. The upper grade kids need more food.

[Anonymous]

It would be nice if they let the PTAs at each school help organize the lunch options. Our pta has some caterers who would gladly donate at cost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It would be nice if they let the PTAs at each school help organize the lunch options. Our pta has some caterers who would gladly donate at cost.

Every day? I doubt that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It would be nice if they let the PTAs at each school help organize the lunch options. Our pta has some caterers who would gladly donate at cost.

Every day? I doubt that.

And would these caterers be willing to jump through all the state and federal expectations surrounding food nutrition and preparation that a large public school system must deal with?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It would be nice if they let the PTAs at each school help organize the lunch options. Our pta has some caterers who would gladly donate at cost.

That is not fair. Healthy, nutritious food should not be dependent on the resources of the PTA.