Hot Lunches May Be Served in District 41 Elementary Schools

Food was for thought at Monday night’s School District 41 meeting, where board members discussed a potential agreement with Marquardt School District 15 that would result in increased reimbursement for supplying free lunch to District 41’s cash-strapped families as well as a hot lunch option for all students at the elementary level beginning in the 2012-13 school year.

If passed at the April 18 board meeting, the agreements presented Monday night by Assistant Superintendent of Finance, Facilities and Operations Bob Ciserella would enroll District 41 in the federal National School Lunch Program (NSLP). NSLP is a program that, according to information distributed Monday by the school district,   provides districts “reimbursement for costs associated with free and reduced lunches for qualifying families.”

District 41 is already enrolled in two other reimbursement programs: Illinois Free Lunch and the Federal Special Milk Program. Enrollment in the NSLP, according to the district, will save approximately $30,000 the first year.

NSLP entry means District 15, another of the six feeder districts of Glenbard District 87, will become District 41’s mandatory school food authority (SFA). District 15 already provides food for District 16 as its SFA and, according to board documents, still has the capability to provide for District 41. 

In 2011-12, District 41 will only be reimbursed for Hadley Junior High free-lunch students. That is projected to be $73,552 in revenue, according to Monday meeting agenda documents. In 2012-13, elementary schools will be considered in the reimbursement program, meaning the hot lunch option will be available for elementary school students—free-lunch students and paying students—for the first time in District 41.    

“We’re very excited about this possibility,” Superintendent Dr. Ann Riebock said. “We think it’s in the best interest of our school district and it will be great for our kids.”

According to Ciserella, hot food for the elementary schools would be prepared in the District 15 kitchens, then transported to District 41 schools, kept hot in steam trays, and served to participating students on disposable plates. Food trays would then be sent back to District 15 facilities for cleaning.

Ciserella said he expects district savings to increase from $30,000 as the elementary schools are considered.

In additional to the fiscal relief that would come with NSLP enrollment, the district would also have to comply with the Health, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which mandates that appropriate servings of meat, fruits and vegetables, grains and breads and dairy be included in every meal.

Ciserella said the change will be an improvement over the pick-and-choose system currently in place. But it will take adjustment for the district’s students.

“It’s going to be a culture shock for the kids,” Ciserella said.

Board member Terra Costa Howard said she thought the healthy hot lunch program has great intentions, but worried about food waste from picky eaters.

“We as adults need to be much more realistic about what our expectations are. [Healthful foods] can be offered, but [students] don’t necessarily take it,” she said. “I see a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables and healthy foods getting tossed into the garbage.”

When board member John Kenwood questioned whether hot food can be healthy food, Riebock said there will be no fried foods, pizza on occasion, and such healthy options as turkey hot dogs.

“It’s not just going to look like broccoli and carrots,” Riebock said.

Costa Howard was also concerned fiscal benefits from NSLP enrollment would be offset by additional staff hired. The district said one part-time server would be required at each school for approximately two hours per day. They would be benefit-free jobs.

Costa Howard asked that the savings after staffing be estimated before the April 18 vote.

Currently, only Hadley Junior High students are offered a full hot lunch option managed by ARAMARK. Those students who qualify for free lunch have the same options as those students who pay, minus snack-bar options. In the district’s elementary schools, students who qualify for free lunch receive “brown-bag lunches” prepared at Hadley’s cafeteria.

According to the district, there has been a “significant increase” in students who qualify for free lunch in recent years. Ciserella said there are 470 students in the district receiving free lunch. That status is based on family size and income.

Families who choose to pay for hot lunch in the future would pay via online accounts as is already done at Hadley.

District 41’s contract with ARAMARK ends in June.

Also Monday, in the Finance and Facilities Committee meeting that preceded the board meeting, Ciserella summarized the bids received for the . LITE Construction came in with the lowest bid at $207,082. That’s more than the $183,000 estimate provided by Ciserella at earlier meetings. The bid will go before the board on April 18 for discussion and is expected to be voted on at the May 2 meeting.