South Orangetown officials say food pantry didn’t ‘close,’ shift to gift cards and community partner deliveries

Board members raised questions about the district food pantry at the start of the meeting, prompting administrators to clarify how the district has changed how it provides food support to families.

Superintendent Dr. Arrieta said the statement that “the food pantry has closed is not accurate,” and explained the district stopped long-term on-site storage after finding food that had been left for months and encountering mice at the high school. The district moved to a model that emphasizes gift cards and targeted distribution through the Family Engagement Center for families who request assistance.

Officials said salvageable items remaining in the high-school pantry were transferred to a local South Orangetown family that runs a community pantry and that the district has partnered with that pantry because it has the manpower and distribution capacity the district lacks. School clubs and classes will still run targeted food drives on an announced schedule so items do not remain in school storage.

Administrators also said the COVE program staff prefer placing students in off-campus job sites rather than relying on an on-campus pantry as a training site. The district will continue to provide food support to families who express need while relying on community partners for ongoing deliveries and distribution.

The district did not provide a timeline to re-establish any long-term, on-campus pantry storage; the administration said the old counseling suite will be renovated in about a year and that there would be no available high-school space for a pantry after that project.