Whereas college students in some districts are being pressured to pay for lunches once more for the primary time since 2020, Dearborn Public Colleges college students will proceed to obtain free breakfast and lunches for the 2022-23 college yr.
Underneath the Nationwide Faculty Lunch Program, Dearborn is ready to use the Neighborhood Eligibility Provision (CEP) to offer free meals to nearly all of our Ok-12 college students.
Historically, the Faculty Lunch Program permits colleges to supply free or reduced-priced meals to college students who qualify based mostly on family revenue.
Nevertheless, as a result of pandemic, for the final two years the U.S. Division of Agriculture allowed all public colleges to supply free meals to all college students. That waiver expired this summer time, which suggests most districts will return to free or decreased meals just for college students who qualify.
Final yr, Dearborn Colleges supplied greater than 2.2 million lunches to college students and greater than 721,000 breakfasts.
Free meals for all college students does current one hiccup for the district.
Household revenue is used as a think about many federal and state funding applications.
To nonetheless be eligible for that funding, Dearborn Public Colleges asks all households to finish a household revenue survey. Among the many funding associated to household revenue, the district expects to obtain $16 million in state funds for at-risk college students and $12.5 million in federal Title 1 {dollars} this yr.
Kitchen upgrades, menu app
District dad and mom and college students are reminded that pupil lunch and breakfast menus are posted for every college by means of the Nutrislice system at https://dearbornschools.nutrislice.com/menu/ and thru the Nutrislice app.
The system exhibits dietary info and any potential allergens for every dish. The app additionally permits college students to offer suggestions on meals they like or dislike. All district meals are halal and nut free. Nutrislice additionally provides translated menus on each the net web page and app.
Over the summer time, the district’s Meals Service Division put in new massive walk-in freezers at Geer Park Elementary, Howe Faculty, Miller Elementary, William Ford Elementary, Henry Ford Elementary, Haigh Elementary, Howard Elementary and Stout Center Faculty. The ninth freezer for Snow Elementary was delayed on account of provide chain points.
The brand new freezers will enable the district to maintain extra meals available and scale back the quantity of meals transported every day between totally different buildings. By legislation, the Meals Service Division has a separate finances from the district’s normal fund, so income raised by the meals program have to be reinvested again into that program. Upgrading the eight freezers was anticipated to price about $2.8 million.
“We’re excited to be gearing up for an additional yr of serving our college students wholesome, appetizing meals, and are grateful that we will once more supply free lunch and breakfast to our college students,” stated Jeff Murphy, Director of Meals Service.
