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MCCSC workers battle breaks in the supply chain to feed students

By Elizabeth DeSantis

Posted February 18, 2022

A school/cafeteria lunch.

(USDA)

Many Americans haven’t been feeling very lucky at the grocery store lately – entire store shelves are empty, and that one brand you want is never in stock.

Amid these nationwide supply chain issues, schools within Monroe County Community School Corporation have been working together to make sure students have something to eat when they walk into the school cafeteria.

Right now, over 30 percent of students in MCCSC schools are enrolled in school lunch programs. MCCSC Food Services usually provides 7,500 meals for students every day.

Schools are facing increased costs for providing school lunches and discontinued products from long-used vendors. This means they’re having to adapt from the way they’ve always done things, Director of Food Services for MCCSC Matt Tomrell said.

To cope with shortages, MCCSC switched from a five-week rotating menu to a three-week one when classes began in January. Food Services is making sure that schools are in different places in the rotating menu and can share supplies when shipments arrive incomplete or late.

“Instead of having 17 schools all order the same products for the same week, we only have five or six schools,” Tomrell said. “So that eases the burden on our vendors. And if we do then experience supply chain issues, we can then reach out to maybe our partnering schools.”

This year, even more students are opting into the new free school breakfast program. Up to 65 percent of students in MCCSC elementary schools are now participating, according to Tomrell.

Despite unreliable shipments and increased demand, MCCSC Food Services has been working to make sure that kids are still offered healthy options.

“We are incorporating seasonal fresh fruit daily into our menus, we're getting away from some of the pre-packaged items,” Tomrell said. “They’re still going to have pre-packaged items, but again we're going to have seasonal fresh food available daily."

Last month, the USDA announced its intent to provide increased funding – $750 million nationwide – to help support schools facing similar supply issues. The funding is also aimed at helping to increase availability of healthy options for students.

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