Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Meals topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
School board discusses possible withdrawal from federal school lunch program; no decision made
Summary
Board members and staff reviewed experiences of other Wyoming districts that have moved away from the federal school-meal program in favor of a la carte sales. They discussed increased a la carte participation, commodity storage challenges and the need for local planning; the district made no immediate change.
The Newcastle School Board discussed whether to withdraw any schools from the federal National School Lunch Program and move toward a la carte operations on Feb. 5, but members made no decision.
Board member Billy Fitzwater said he had contacted several Wyoming districts that have left the federal program and reported many had kept some schools on the federal program while moving other buildings to a la carte to test community buy-in. He and other speakers said districts that left the federal program often saw short-term declines in participation that stabilized as high schools and middle schools developed appealing a la carte offerings.
Speakers said a la carte menus have included sandwiches, pizza, burritos, soups and snacks; some districts reported raising meal prices modestly, often by 25¢–50¢, while still offering free and reduced options where required. “They did most of them did see an increase in the school lunches…and were able to feed the kids more and better meals for roughly 25 to 50¢ more,” one board member reported from the outreach.
Administrators and food-service staff warned of logistical issues if the district reduced participation in the federal program: commodity allocations are ordered in advance and distributed unpredictably; the district would need additional freezer space to store increased donated commodities and brown-box items; and some commodities are processed products (chicken patties, hamburger) while brown-box orders are staple, nonperishable items. The board discussed options such as renting freezer space or seeking donated freezers and noted prior storage had been at the bus barn before a fire.
Denise and other staff said participation and vendor experience vary by district size and approach. Several board members suggested a phased trial — keeping the elementary on the federal program while testing a la carte at older grades — and noted Sheridan County and other Wyoming districts had used mixed approaches.
No formal motion to withdraw was made. Board members asked staff to compile additional data, list districts they consulted and return with a clearer cost and operational analysis, including storage options and projected meal prices.
