Letter to the Editor:
Re: An Education in School Budgeting (9/4/08) Montville Times Article on "Montville Schools head onto a new school year in tough economy"
Great to see the local news in your paper! As your article stated these tough economic times are being dealt with by the Superintendent and school board.
As the food services director for the Montville Schools, I would like to add clarification on meal prices. In our schools, meals increased $.25 for breakfast and lunch along with an extra 8 oz. serving of milk now $.50, up from $.35 ---Food costs and school meal prices have increased across the country! (Many school meal programs are self-supporting and non-profiting; meaning food sales pays for food and labor expenses.)
School breakfast and lunch continues to be a great value for a healthy, balanced meal that provides brain fuel to aide a student's ability to learn! (See www.MontvilleSchools.org Parents may join their child for lunch: an adult meal is available for $3.50) Students enjoy a balanced meal of bread or grains, meat or protein, with 2 servings of fruit and/or vegetable plus calcium rich, bone building milk as required for a National School Lunch (offered free or at a very reduced rate of $.40, National School Breakfast is free or $.30, to a student whose family qualifies by household income).
School foods are prepared and served by qualified food services operators in kitchens that have been inspected by the local health dept... I encourage all that pack a home prepared meal (student or parent) to remember the importance of maintaining safe temperatures for food held more than 2 hours at room temperature (the "danger zone" when harmful bacterial can grow). This means "keep cold foods cold, and hot foods hot." Since many prepackaged food items are high in salt, sugar or fats, students learn to read the label. The nutrient your body needs: carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins and minerals, are found in a variety of whole foods. Your school food service professionals provide an economical, convenient and tasty breakfast and lunch for our children. The School Nutrition Association, although not a house hold word, has members in every school serving thousands of meals daily, taking pride in serving and nourishing our students with safely prepared meals.
My daughter started her senior year Tues. at Montville High, powered by a $1.50 breakfast and $2.50 lunch- that the school food services staff served.
Yours in health,
Heidi Buchholtz, Regional Rep. for the School Nutrition Assocation of CT for more nutrition info www.SNACT.org