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Nev. (KOLO) — Washoe County School District nutrition officials say they are expanding menu options and working to connect more students with free meals as the district prepares to return to school Monday, Aug. 10
Paul Stanley, SFE Nutrition Services director, said the district sends out thousands of surveys and holds taste test events to shape food offerings each year
“Our goal is to provide a nutritious, appealing meal very efficiently so they want to come and visit us in the cafeteria each day,” Stanley said
Stanley said the district also uses elementary menu ballot boxes, where students vote on items they want to see on the menu
“Thousands of surveys shared. Dozens of taste test events. We have even elementary menu ballot boxes at schools where they actually vote on the items they want to see on the menu or tell us they don’t like an item,” he said
Stanley said smoothies launched last year at the high school level and proved popular enough to be added to menus each month. He said the program will expand to middle schoolers at some point in the fall. He also said pasta and spicy items have been popular, and that buffalo mac and cheese was a hit at the middle school level
“Our elementary students are ready for some bigger flavors. Some bolder flavors. So we had great traction with green chili posole, and some items like that — tamales — so we’re looking forward to expanding the menus based on that feedback and participation,” Stanley said
Stanley said the district operates within the parameters of the National School Lunch Program and is working on reducing sugars and saturated fats in some foods, including milk
Mike Supple, WCSD Food Service director, said his focus is on ensuring students are enrolled to receive free lunch. He said 67 schools in the district are part of the Community Eligibility Provision, or CEP, meaning no applications are required and all students at those schools eat breakfast and lunch for free
The remaining 36 schools are non-CEP. Supple said students at those schools must submit applications to determine eligibility
“They need to fill out applications and submit them to see if they qualify, and they’re good throughout the whole year and 30 days into the next school year,” Supple said
Supple said free meal eligibility is based on household income and household size, and that Washoe County offers free or paid meals — there are no reduced-price meals. He said food insecurity is growing every year in Washoe County
Supple said this is his 56th school year connected to school cafeterias, as both a student and a worker
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