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Lakewood nutrition supervisor reports 284,644 lunches served, warns of pending federal standard changes
Summary
Jacob Green, Lakewood City Schools supervisor of nutrition services, briefed the board on meal counts, program rules, Grow Ohio grant-funded hydroponic program at Harrison Elementary and uncertainty about state coverage of reduced-price lunches.
Jacob Green, supervisor of nutrition services for Lakewood City Schools, told the Board of Education on June 16 that the district served 284,644 reimbursable lunches and 53,155 reimbursable breakfasts during the 2024–25 school year.
Green said the district participates in the National School Lunch Program and the National School Breakfast Program and must follow strict federal nutrition guidelines. “There’s a lot more rules than I think people understand in these programs,” he said, and noted the U.S. Department of Agriculture is phasing in tighter limits on added sugars and sodium that will require menu and manufacturer adjustments in coming years.
The supervisor urged families to complete the district’s annual free and reduced-price meal application via PaySchool Central or on paper so eligible students receive benefits. He also said the state of Ohio covered the reduced-price lunch co-pay (typically 40¢) for the past two years but that the state’s decision for the coming year was “not specified” and he expected a governor’s decision by July 1.
Green described local program improvements including streamlined field-trip lunch forms and staff support from assistant supervisor Julie Bartel, whom he credited with quick certification of applications. He said the district applied for and received a Grow Ohio grant to support Harrison Elementary’s school garden and purchase a Fork Farms FlexFarm hydroponic tower; students use an included curriculum and some produce has been incorporated into school meals.
The district hosted a taste-test event with nonprofit Feed Our Future featuring lettuce grown in the hydroponic unit. Green also summarized other program activity: continued Summer EBT automatic benefits of $120 per eligible child, his attendance at national and state nutrition conferences, a scholarship enabling him to take the School Nutrition Association’s specialist exam, and the district’s selection for the National School Food Study, a mandatory three-day observation intended to calculate the true cost of producing school meals.
Board members asked for clarification about the Summer EBT allocation and the Grow Ohio grant renewal; Green said the $120 summer benefit appeared the same as last year and that Grow Ohio grants reopen periodically but are not automatically renewable.
Green closed by thanking staff and saying he hoped for continued progress in future years.
