School Lunch Program Changes
on Horizon
Changes are on the horizon for the Huntington School District's school lunch program. A recently enacted federal law aimed at providing "enhancements for nutrition and wellness" in school cafeterias across the country includes a decade-long implementation schedule beginning in the 2012/13 school year.
The implementation timeline was generated by the US Dept. of Agriculture and approved by the New York State Office of Child Nutrition. The new legislation was encouraged by First Lady Michelle Obama.
"The consequences of this change will require the school district to go to bid for the management company services currently provided by Whitsons Food Service," said David H. Grackin, Huntington's assistant superintendent for finance and management services. "The legislation provides for significant menu changes and therefore increases costs for the provider."
State education officials are continuing to work on the contract documents needed by school districts to go out to bid for outside food management service companies.
"Hopefully, sometime later this spring, we will be able to go out to bid, find an acceptable vendor and provide the board of education with a bid to award prior to the summer," Mr. Grackin said.