[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6621983,"mediaKeyId","2793145-7f390a24562141d0c6559d5b6d33dbe4","parentId",2793145,"title","Wellness subcommittee raises alarm over rising food pantry demand, to monitor federal changes affecting school nutrition","audioSeconds",626,"startMs",4130000,"endMs",4756000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2793145-7f390a24562141d0c6559d5b6d33dbe4&start=4130&end=4756","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2793145-7f390a24562141d0c6559d5b6d33dbe4/thumbnail_4130000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6621983/North-Kingstown/School-Districts/Rhode-Island/Wellness-subcommittee-raises-alarm-over-rising-food-pantry-demand-to-monitor-federal-changes-affecting-school-nutrition","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6621983-3051835797041cc556a1b35a25d1a049/orig.mp4?Expires=1775025349&Signature=hdwrHw0-tBsf6JoeSQMMq~4~TjFj3mvrVslBeDFdlD4IPQAytDqt1kZjBf~-3DTPeXu-TIMyBjIC-yQJqnBrWi5sMDHHhPWmG3LojWKV0LcNbyvF90KvL9L2dcgvAuXxORvriNuvEGAJ1Ft67bmzcMF-HT8Vf29NIAnJZfkuNJdD~L9DS~Oa9F6Hu6lQuo6E~pFTDEcYFkZp2sk96L553QHuVFOb7djTW1OskHpcglqWoNOk9RH17XJU-vyw~q8CT6Jo7O6lc10aPg06vnz8wXsZ-JUgOcodr3KON6n49I6brLzy4b7~QYuxOXvspbERRpD~KxXlig0qerkghrs10Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","North Kingstown","date","2025-03-27T13:13:32.967Z","article","Members of the North Kingstown Wellness Subcommittee discussed local food-security concerns at the March 26 meeting, noting increased demand at the North Kingstown Food Pantry and the district's need to monitor potential federal changes that could affect school nutrition programs.

A committee member who serves on the food pantry board told the group that last month represented the second-highest level of need the pantry has recorded and that the pantry is planning an addition to its current space to better manage overflow. The subcommittee noted that Blessings in a Backpack provides weekly food to just over 200 North Kingstown students across the district and that the program structure differs by school level.

District staff reported that a grant supporting the district's fresh fruit and vegetable program ended on Feb. 28 and currently has no planned renewal; staff said the district is using local vendors where possible but that some local procurement constraints (for example, crop sizing and processing requirements) affect product choices.

Committee members asked staff to track whether changes at the federal level or to state food-bank distributions will affect local supplies or the number of families seeking assistance. The wellness subcommittee agreed this is a matter to \"pay attention to\" over the coming months and asked staff to return any new information to the committee so members can consider coordinated responses, including leveraging PTO networks and school-level food drives.

The committee noted several volunteer and operational options it might pursue if local need increases, including centralized communications to PTO presidents, coordinating food drives across schools and identifying school-based distribution or donation points. No formal action was taken; the committee assigned monitoring and information-gathering as follow-up tasks.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","NKSD Health & Wellness SubCommittee Meeting March 26th, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Committee members heard that North Kingstown's food pantry is seeing near-record demand, discussed the end of a fresh-fruit grant and asked staff to track potential federal changes that could affect food security for students.","taxTitle","North Kingstown, School Districts, Rhode Island","taxId",73306,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6621987,"North Kingstown pilots student-led composting and recycling; district says participating schools divert about 80% of cafeteria waste",1282,2229000,3511000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2793145-7f390a24562141d0c6559d5b6d33dbe4&start=2229&end=3511","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2793145-7f390a24562141d0c6559d5b6d33dbe4/thumbnail_2229000.jpg","/articles/6621987/North-Kingstown/School-Districts/Rhode-Island/North-Kingstown-pilots-student-led-composting-and-recycling-district-says-participating-schools-divert-about-80-of-cafeteria-waste","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6621987-c8fd9c68a472a037b07936f9c36e4203/orig.mp4?Expires=1775025349&Signature=EAPuula8yku6qDI3mAfH~--0YsjQWrvR2q7Zi-gJJ0vFjDotZNvVyJ4wiL0SEm-FEgjnmoJZQaZFMSY6dmnfLbeMVsN5dSWHjvTnDj07tb7h5HYF-L4p1I6G3n23pd6gU-2pOFUaCJIkU7~22H2kKBDLONa9LnxjTFzyWqoUof65RH4sKMWIdAW20rrVT0EPWmsunfJ6nZiOZL0I~Uca6hLft71rdRpI95dnG-zAQeMqPG97YgE6tW-Wtr9iIRPZmBlS5x5FRXsD487wCFJnlLo2Ayq0yEJ3Ym4OtIj1oU6e0NQMXP-NME6NJVxHNOx-tdy9orAvlSb8LNRccqBU0A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the March 26 Wellness Subcommittee meeting, North Kingstown's sustainability specialist described a student-driven composting and recycling pilot that district staff said has reduced cafeteria landfill waste substantially in participating elementary schools.

Eva Tuohy, the district sustainability specialist, presented the program design, which trains student leaders to run lunch-period sorting, installs a branded share cart and glass-front share refrigerator at each participating school, and replaces many single-use items with compostable serviceware. The district is working with the Rhode Island Schools Recycling Project for implementation and Black Earth Compost as a commercial compost hauler.

Four elementary schools began the program in early March: Forest Park, Stony Lane, Quidnessett and Fishing Cove. Tuohy said the program pairs student \"compost crews\" with adult supervisors during the initial launch; the crews sort liquid waste, recycling, compostable items and landfill waste and encourage correct tray sorting.

Trish Cawley, Child Nutrition Services, told the committee the participating schools are diverting roughly 80% of what had previously been sent to the landfill: \"Overall the schools that are participating right now, we are still at 80%.\" The presentation included a single-day audit at Forest Park that found 76 pounds of potential cafeteria waste and an estimated 70 pounds were diverted, a 94% diversion rate for that audit day.

District staff said the program has produced both educational benefits and operational gains. Staff track pre- and post-implementation audits and said the district spends about $7,000 per month on waste hauling; early data and purchase changes to compostable materials could reduce dumpster pickups and create savings, though the district noted compostable serviceware currently carries higher unit costs. The pilot includes a stipend of $1,900 per school for a sustainability coordinator to support the program.

Other operational details: students are asked to pour liquids from containers into a liquid bucket to keep recyclables clean; the district uses share carts/refrigerators to capture unopened or unused purchased food for later use; and the district compacts trays and uses liners to maximize compost-hauler capacity. The pilot also includes bilingual custodial materials and outreach.

Next steps identified by staff include continuing monthly audits, adjusting pickup frequency for dumpsters where diversion justifies change, expanding to additional schools (middle and high school approaches will differ) and creating a playbook of best practices to support replication across the district and other Rhode Island districts.

","Sustainability specialist Eva Tuohy and Child Nutrition Services staff described a student-driven composting and recycling program in four elementary schools, a commercial hauler arrangement and early results showing high diversion rates and potential waste-haul savings.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6621993,"Wellness subcommittee edits student substance-use policy, sends changes to policy subcommittee",1615,549000,2164000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2793145-7f390a24562141d0c6559d5b6d33dbe4&start=549&end=2164","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2793145-7f390a24562141d0c6559d5b6d33dbe4/thumbnail_549000.jpg","/articles/6621993/North-Kingstown/School-Districts/Rhode-Island/Wellness-subcommittee-edits-student-substance-use-policy-sends-changes-to-policy-subcommittee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6621993-730f9daf4346a31a313af388828b430b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775025349&Signature=jfuBPifyJc~ppJoPkJNN2Uwy7WnZ~eFUEPNKnX9juc86Etem5spGkMZk9rWGo7ECrylfBP3jokUYFtmE9HEUMrFlrMqov9ynELDzs54ZPyPml1RlZZu9TMz62tBBFNWrFt4kaH0TymQIvy4GZu2cA9xVnvZPEABsO~BAuCDR~OiAfpYAFFpYxs4LyK5UBbJ4swsG810ejn42oc9cjDE4EXEZKnYKZNokb3avfizmql~1LUNbKLMzDMtCQ03Ml6QCrK61IoEbdzAS1O7Wd8b6GZmGEfZfUfYc-6yiY68wRaFO-SPZRWvoqHZfd-ZcPhRgurREmBffpx-WHlWuQzdUFA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The North Kingstown School District Wellness Subcommittee voted March 26 to revise wording and add notification language in the district's Chemical Health and Safety/Alcohol and Other Drug Use by Students policy and sent the edited draft to the policy subcommittee for formal review.

The subcommittee approved three procedural changes: replacing the term \"substance abuse counselor\" with \"student assistance counselor\" in the policy text; adding language to the second-offense discipline section specifying parental notification and that the North Kingstown Police Department may be notified; and forwarding the revised policy to the policy subcommittee for further review and public posting. The votes were taken by voice and the motions were approved.

Members said they wanted the policy text to match current practice at the high school and to clarify how parents and student-assistance staff are involved. Committee members raised questions about whether the policy's reference to parental \"approval\" for counseling referrals should instead be framed as parental notification in emergency situations and whether school administrators need discretion for prompt responses to incidents that affect student safety.

Subcommittee members discussed how the policy distinguishes immediate school responses (for example, suspension or contacting police when an incident is emergent) from longer-term interventions such as referral to the student assistance program, which the subcommittee described as nonemergent counseling that requires parental consent. The group agreed the discipline language should clearly describe parental notification for each offense and also make explicit that administrators retain discretion in emergencies.

The subcommittee decided not to adopt further substantive changes at the meeting. Instead the committee will send the draft to the policy subcommittee, which the committee said typically assembles recommended policy language, posts materials for public comment and forwards final recommendations to the full school committee.

Next steps: the wellness subcommittee will monitor edits made by the policy subcommittee and expects the policy to return to the wellness group for a final review prior to being sent to the school committee for consideration.

","North Kingstown School District wellness subcommittee voted to update wording in its chemical-health policy, add notification language for second offenses and forward the draft to the policy subcommittee for review.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Wellness subcommittee raises alarm over rising food pantry demand, to monitor federal changes affecting school nutrition

North Kingstown pilots student-led composting and recycling; district says participating schools divert about 80% of cafeteria waste

Wellness subcommittee edits student substance-use policy, sends changes to policy subcommittee