Poland schools work to promote food program

POLAND — The Poland School District is trying to promote the school breakfast and lunch program in light of some challenges it faces.

Increasingly stringent federal guidelines about what the district can serve for meals has made it difficult to sustain participation in a program that already wasn’t thriving, district officials say.

“Ideally, [the program] would be self-sustaining,” Superintendent David Janofa said.

Instead, the school district is spending money on the program. The issue was a topic of discussion at a recent board of education meeting after the board approved the transfer of $69,500 from the general fund to a lunchroom/cafeteria fund.

District leaders want to see that figure reduced, a goal that district food-service Director Barbara Walko is working to achieve by boosting participation and keeping food costs low.

About one-third of Poland students buy lunch at school; only about 4 percent buy breakfast.

For the complete story, read Saturday's Vindicator and Vindy.com