CDE encourages districts to apply for summer meal programs; provides new food waste guidelines
Published: March 14, 2018
At present nearly 60 percent of California’s K-12 public school students receive free or reduced-price school meals. The upcoming summer break is a time of critical need for students who depend on schools for fresh, healthy meals due to the disruption of this dependable access to nutrition.
In response, schools and community organizations are encourage to apply to be summer meal providers. According to the California Food Policy Advocates, an Oakland nonprofit, 85 percent of students in California, or more than 1.7 million children, who receive free or reduced-price meals during the school year miss out on similar sustenance during the summer. The California Department of Education provides several pathways for schools and nonprofit organizations to provide summer meals, including the Seamless Summer Option. The SSO is a program that encourages more public school districts and county offices of education to provide meals in low income areas during summer and certain other school vacation periods. It reduces paperwork and administrative burdens and makes it easier for sponsors to feed children in low income areas during traditional summer vacation periods and during school vacation periods of longer than ten days for year-round schools.
In addition to economic and nutritional benefits, ensuring access to healthy school meals is seen as vital to reducing the achievement gap, boosting daily attendance and cutting down on childhood health issues such as obesity and diabetes. Researchers have found that poor nutrition can negatively affect student well-being and impact academic performance. Studies also show that undernourishment has been linked to poor standardized test scores, low attendance and increased behavioral issues.
“Hunger is a huge distraction: it's hard to learn on an empty stomach,” said Julie Maxwell Jolly, CSBA senior director of policy and programs. “Summer food programs keep students well-nourished so they return to school healthy and ready to learn. “
Reducing food waste at schools
With $1.2 billion in school meal food thrown away each year, the CDE has issued guidance on how school districts can cut down on plate waste.
CDE recommends schools:
- conduct student surveys to measure satisfaction
- sponsor holding taste tests and recipe competitions to improve options
- create a student advisory committee to provide feedback on food acceptability and recipe names
- offer a grab-and-go line for kids who want to get through the line faster so they have more time to eat
- establish sharing tables where staff and students can make unwanted food available to others
Gov. Jerry Brown also recently signed legislation in the fall of 2017 that allows schools to donate leftover food from school cafeterias to local food banks or other nonprofits. Meanwhile, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson held California’s first-ever Food Waste Prevention Week in early March, with the goal of reducing the estimated 12 billion pounds of food Californians waste annually.
“I encourage everyone to do their part to reduce food waste by making changes in your home, workplace, and community,” Torlakson said.