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Food service expands grab-and-go and new entrée lines for middle and high school
Summary
Coordinator Laura Hensley outlined menu changes, grab-and-go expansions and nutrition rules, and reminded families about free-and-reduced applications and PaySchoolCentral accounts.
Laura Hensley, coordinator of food service, told the board the district is expanding grab-and-go options and introducing new lines at the middle and high school for the 2025–26 year.
Hensley described new menu items and service lines that will appear across grade levels: an expanded grab-and-go selection, a second-service line at the intermediate school, fresh garden salads and salad-shaker options, and a hibachi-style prepared line at the middle and high school featuring stir-fry options and a teriyaki ramen entree. The district will also offer a rotating second-line menu (pasta, Mexican, Asian, breakfast, soup-and-sandwich in colder months) and new panini and pizza offerings.
Hensley said the district is required to meet federal whole-grain and sodium standards and noted that about 80 percent of grain products must be whole grain; she said the district manages recipes to balance student preference and nutrition constraints. She said the food-service team has been working with local suppliers, including Winns Fruit Farm and Premier Produce, to source local apples and produce when available.
On meal access, Hensley and Superintendent Sawyer reminded families that only students who are directly certified through federal means are automatically enrolled for free meals; other families must complete the annual free-and-reduced application on PaySchoolCentral. Hensley encouraged parents to preload PaySchoolCentral accounts before the first day to pay fees or purchase a la carte items; she noted that a la carte items are not covered by free-and-reduced benefits.
The district plans to continue student taste-testing to guide menus and to add menu items that perform well with students. Hensley invited families to contact her or her assistant with questions about the program.
Direct quotes from the presentation included Hensley’s description of new menu items and Sawyer’s praise for the nutrition staff’s work to review sales data and pilot new items.
