Fairfield schools managing changes to meal funding

FAIRFIELD — For the past two school years, parents did not have to fill out an application for free or reduced meals for their children, because those meals were free courtesy of the United States Department of Agriculture.

However, the USDA announced it has ceased funding all school meals, and starting this fall, parents who wish to have their children receive free or reduced-priced meals must fill out an application, just like they did before the pandemic.

Stephanie Hawkins, Fairfield School District’s Food & Nutrition Services Director, said parents should be mindful that income guidelines have changed since they last filled out the form three years ago, so while they might not have qualified for the program then, they may qualify now. As an example, a household of four people with an annual income of $36,075 or less qualifies for free meals.

For parents who must pay full-price for their children, the cost for the 2022-2023 school year will be $2.85 for lunch and $1.95 for breakfast, at the elementary level. For middle and high school students, the cost is the same for breakfast but $3 for lunch. Hawkins said this reflects the fact that middle and high school students receive more food for lunch than elementary students.

Hawkins said the USDA fully funding breakfasts and lunches for all children the past two years caused a noticeable uptick in how many of them chose to eat. She said this was especially true for breakfasts.

“At the high school level, we went from serving 40 breakfasts per day to over 100,” Hawkins said. “Students came to school early for band practice and could grab breakfast.”

Hawkins said she’s worried that fewer students will eat breakfast now because of the loss of funding, and that this will affect their studies.

“We know that having good nutrition in the morning sets the students up to be able to learn,” she said. “They can focus on their learning because they’re not hungry.”

Hawkins said that, due to pandemic restrictions, the district’s cooks served more prepackaged food than they did before. She said they are excited to return to the scratch or semi-scratch cooking they did before the pandemic.

Last year, the district purchased three new ovens called “combi” that combine steam and convection cooking.

“These ovens are so much faster,” Hawkins declared. “Our broccoli is bright green. The food that’s supposed to be crispy is crispy, and the food that’s not supposed to be crispy isn’t.”

The ovens at the middle and high schools have smokers, which allows the district to smoke pulled pork for added flavor.

“Last year, with all the supply chain issues and so many people out for sickness, we didn’t use them, but we’re looking to use them this year,” Hawkins said.

Hawkins has a son in high school, and he told her that his fellow high school students noticed the difference in the quality of the food last year.

“My son told me that his friends are saying how the food is so much better,” Hawkins said. “The only thing I can think of that’s different is the ovens.”

Hawkins said supply chain issues continue to be a thorn in her side, but she’s managing the best she can. Inflation has also reared its ugly head, too. She said that a case of pears that cost $26 before the pandemic now costs $50. She also routinely receives emails from companies announcing that they are discontinuing a product.

“A lot of manufacturers are getting out of the K-12 market because of the regulations that go into providing food to us,” she said.

For more information about Fairfield’s meal program, contact Hawkins at 641-472-2655 ext. 6703, or email her at Stephanie.Hawkins@fairfieldsfuture.org.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com