school nutrition program news

School Nutrition Program Information for 2023-2024

The School Nutrition Program (SNP) is a Federally funded program. The SNP revenues are generated from reimbursable school meals, a la carte sales and catering. For school year 2022-2023 the school nutrition program served 351,334 breakfast meals and 474,772 lunch meals along with 16,887 supper meals.

All students in Pulaski County are eligible for all meals served at school at NO COST under the Community Eligibility Provision. Students will be allowed to purchase extra items, providing the student has cash or enough money on their school meal account to cover the cost of ala carte items.

Charges: We will not allow charges for any food or beverage item.

Breakfast:   K-12 

Students must choose a minimum of ½ cup fruit or juice with breakfast (80% of grains served for breakfast must be whole-grain rich).

·       2 oz. Whole grain or 1oz Whole Grain & 1oz Protein item

·       Fruit or Vegetable – up to 1 cup per student (4oz 100% juice and/or ½ c fruit - fresh, canned or frozen)

·       8 oz. – Fat free flavored or unflavored milk, or 1% white milk

Breakfast menus are planned according to student preference and meal pattern requirements. (PK students are offered only white milk – portions are most often the same as K-12, but may be reduced)

Do students have to take everything? Students are encouraged to take everything that makes up a reimbursable meal for breakfast and lunch. At breakfast they are required to take 3 of 4 items offered that meet the breakfast requirement portion sizes.  Lunch: Students are required to choose 3 of 5 items that meet the portion size requirements and one of which must be a ½ cup serving of a fruit or a vegetable.

Elementary School Lunch: K-5

·       Meat/Protein item (8-10 oz. per week)

·       Whole Grains (8-9 oz. per week)

·       Fresh, canned or frozen fruit (K-5- 2.5 cups per week)

·       Vegetables – fresh, canned or frozen – (K-5– 2.5 cups per week)

·       Milk: 8oz flavored, unflavored Fat Free or 1% White Milk or Fat Free

Pulaski County Middle and High School Lunch are offered the same menus with slightly different portion requirements.

·       Meat/Protein -  Grade Group 6-8 (9-10 oz. per week) Grade Group 9-12 – (10-12 oz. per week)

·       Whole Grains - Grade Group 6-8 - (8-10 oz. per week) Grade Group 9-12 - (10-12 oz. per week)

·       Fresh, canned or frozen fruit

o   Grade Group 6-8 (2.5 cups per week) 

o   Grade Group 9-12 – (up to 5 cups per week)

·       Vegetables – fresh, canned or frozen

o   Grade Group 6-8 – 3.75 cups per week

o   Grade Group 9-12 -  5 cups per week

·       Milk: Fat Free 8oz flavored or unflavored or Fat Free or 1% White Milk

The meal pattern requirements include portion sizes for breakfast and lunch. Meals for lunch requires specific sub vegetable groups that include:

·       Red/Orange Vegetables: 1 ¼ c Grade Group 9-12 -  3/4c.  Grade Group K-8

·       Beans & Legumes: ½ per week

·       Dark Greens:  ½ c. per week

·       Whole grains in specific quantities for the week

The menus are certified for performance based menu planning to ensure the USDA meal pattern requirements are met for all grade groups. Currently School Nutrition is meeting the Sodium Target 1A and within the specific caloric range for all grade groups.

Adult patrons are always welcome to have breakfast and lunch – meals served according the high school meal pattern. Price for adult meals will be $2.55 for breakfast and $4.35 for lunch during the 23-24 school year.

Farm to School continues to be a very important part of the school nutrition program. Pulaski County School Nutrition, in partnership with Mountain View Farms, will be serving locally sourced hamburgers and ground beef for the coming school years.

The Pulaski County School Wellness Policy and information related to Food Allergy guidance may be found on the PCVA/School Nutrition and Fitness webpage.

The supper program Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) continues to expand to include every school in the district. Our focus is to provide snack and/or supper meals for at risk students that participate in enrichment activities and after school activities.

Advisory meetings with students: The feedback we receive from students is a helpful tool in menu planning and also to hear ideas or suggestions. Students are our most important customers! Our focus is students and the menu items that keep them coming back.

Alternate breakfast programs have turned out to be very successful. This breakfast in the classroom model will continue through SY 23/24.

Pulaski County Middle and Pulaski County High school will offer as many options as possible including the Deli Sub line which has proved to be very successful. Salad options will be available as well.

The opportunity to provide extra funds for your student is available online. School Nutrition provides the following payment options:

Cash or checks are accepted at Point of Service - Please write student pin# on checks to ensure payment is correctly applied.  Online prepay: My School Bucks: www.myschoolbucks.com           

Management Team/Contact Information

PCHS                                                                Pulaski County Middle                         

Sheila Stodder                                                  Clifford Pierce              

sstodder@pcva.us                                             clifford.pierce@pcva.us

540 643-0377                                                   540 643-0836                          

Critzer                                                              Pulaski Elementary                     Dublin Elementary

Lorana Jones                                                     Kimberly Secrist                        Millie Weaver

ljones@pcva.us                                                 ksecrist@pcva.us                      millie.weaver@pcva.us

540 643-0515                                                   540 643-0954                           540 643-0760

                                                                                                           

Riverlawn                                                         Snowville

Tammy Kolarich                                                April Goble

tkolarich@pcva.us                                            agoble@pcva.us

540 643-0906                                                   540 643-0457

 

School Board Office

Jessica M. Morrison, Director of School Nutrition - 540 994-2523 or email jessica.morrison@pcva.us

Elaine East Accounting Office Assistant – 540 994-2529 or eeast@pcva.us

Ø  Check out the School Nutrition & Fitness Website (menus and much more)