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La Porte ISD nutrition director highlights free-meal program expansion, local sourcing and hydroponics classroom
Summary
Director Ralph Wilkins said the district serves free meals under CEP, emphasized locally sourced menu items and described a hydroponics classroom and other outreach programs.
La Porte ISD’s school nutrition director described expanded free-meal access, menu innovations and outreach programs Monday evening, telling trustees the district’s Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) status is helping remove barriers to student meals.
Ralph Wilkins, the district’s school nutrition director, said the district serves about 5,000 lunches and about 2,100 breakfasts daily and that CEP provides free meals to all enrolled students for a four-year cycle. Wilkins said the program eliminates meal applications and reduces barriers tied to stigma or paperwork.
Wilkins highlighted the department’s rotating menu cycle—designed to allow experimentation without losing participation—and a focus on fresh fruits and vegetables, including locally sourced items. He described a recent watermelon caprese salad that used locally shipped mozzarella and valley watermelon as an example of locally sourced offerings.
The nutrition team has also translated menus into Spanish in response to district needs, Wilkins said, and noted its kitchens averaged a 99.5 health-inspection score across the district.
Beyond cafeteria meals, Wilkins described educational and enrichment efforts: a hydroponics classroom at Bay Shore, literacy initiatives tied to food themes, campus wellness fairs and a catering operation that supports events and job-training experiences for students. He also explained federal rules that limit the use of federal meal funds for adult or subsidized nonstudent meals.
Trustees and staff discussed community partnerships to support students who still face food insecurity outside school hours. Wilkins said nonperishable backpack programs are generally a better fit than attempting to send perishable leftovers home because of food-safety rules and delivery concerns; he encouraged coordination with counselors and community donors to identify students in need.
Trustees commended the nutrition staff and said the department’s work was an important part of student support.
