School Looks To Increase Participation In Meals

LINCOLN - Lincoln School Board recently received a year-end report from Aramark, the company that provides food service to the school district.

The report, given by Lesa Owens, Aramark food service director, and Valerie Dawson, Lincoln schools' child nutrition director, showed consumption of both refundable and nonrefundable school meals in the 2016-17 school year was down compared to the previous year, with a total loss of $72,938 in revenue.

The decrease in free and reduced meals resulted in the loss of a $52,000 breakfast grant at Lincoln Middle School, they said. Other factors affecting revenue were enforcement of the district's charge policy, loss of the Little School Pre-School Program and a shift from free to reduced meals.

Owens and Dawson also reported on the percentage of students who are called "non-participating," or not eating free, reduced or paid breakfast and lunch meals.

A chart showed high non-participation percentages in all three categories in all three schools, especially for breakfast. For instance, 40 percent of elementary students are not eating their free breakfast, 43 percent aren't eating their reduced price breakfast, and 72 percent of students are not eating breakfasts they've paid for. The numbers are higher for the middle school and high school, with 87 percent of both middle and high school students not eating their paid breakfasts. Lunches have somewhat better participation at all three schools in all three categories.

Courtney Jones, high school principal, said "It's a concern when high school students are not eating."

Board member Dax Moreton asked, "What about getting kids what they want? How will that fit in with school nutrition guidelines."

Aramark reported a survey of students earlier in the spring semester showed they wanted doughnuts, pop tarts, cinnamon rolls and yogurt. Aramark said they provide biscuits and gravy every morning, but the biscuits are whole wheat, "and the students won't eat them," Owens said.

This fall, Aramark plans to start taking breakfast on carts to classrooms so students won't have to stand in line.

Owens said a $26,000 Walmart Foundation grant, part of the Northwest Arkansas Giving Program, will be used to offer this alternative breakfast free to all students at all three schools. The program is called Alternative Breakfast After the Bell.

For lunch, Aramark plans to offer a Subway-type build-your-own sandwich or salad option.