Nutrition and Physical Activity
 

The Pulaski County School System is dedicated to serving nutritious meals and providing multiple physical activity opportunities for our students. We realize that academic performance and quality of life issues are affected by the choices and availability of good foods in our district. Healthy foods support student physical growth, brain development, resistance to disease, emotional stability, and ability to learn. To prevent a lifetime of poor health, it makes sense to address obesity during childhood. While research is clear that the problem of obesity can’t be cured without parent and community support, there is plenty that schools can do to help.

 

Food Service Department Goals

Nutrition is a vital part of the educational process. Our goal is to offer nutritional, healthy choices to our students. We take pride in being part of our students’ success.

The Kentucky Board of Education has adopted a regulation setting minimum nutritional standards for food and beverages available for sale in vending machines, school stores, canteens, and ala-carte items on the cafeteria line. These standards apply to all schools. In the Pulaski County Schools only water, low fat milk, 100% fruit juice, and any other beverage containing no more than 10 grams of sugar per serving are available in vending machines, school stores and on the cafeteria lines. The only ala-carte foods for sale on the menu lines are menu items.

Pulaski County Schools will work to achieve the Healthier US Challenge in the 2008-2009 school year.

Our goal is to offer more fresh fruits and vegetables on the menu. We are also offering more whole grain bread products on the menu.

Renovation is in progress for the cafeteria at Southwestern High School. The serving area is being expanded to better serve the students. All new serving lines will be installed.

A new school is being built for Woodstock Elementary. A new kitchen and cafeteria are being planned.
 

Food Service Department Policies and Guidelines

We strive to offer our students nutritional meals and we offer numerous healthy choices. Many of our menu items are prepared from scratch which allows us to better control the amount of fat and sugar in the foods we serve. Students are offered many choices and are allowed to choose as many fruits and vegetables as they will eat. Deep fried foods are offered on a very limited basis. High schools and middle schools offer a salad bar in addition to the regular menu. Some of our elementary schools offer a boxed chef salad upon request.

A list of foods and beverages that are available to students can be made available to the public through a request to the Food Service Department.

Managers meet monthly with the food service director for training, discussion of menus, and suggestions for improving the menu. Staff training is ongoing in each school daily. In addition to this, certification training for all food service personnel is conducted once a year. Substitute cooks are required to have a level 1 certification training after 45 days of work.

Contracted fast foods or foods sold through commercial vendors are not available in the Pulaski County Schools. Vending machines are accessible to students and are compliant with the competitive food rule. Sales from vending machines do not take place until 30 minutes after the last lunch period ends.

The table below provides a synopsis of the food service
program, including participation and meal prices.

Lunch

Federal Reimbursement
Received For 2007-2008 ———————— 1,826,782.00

Number Of Schools Participating ———————- 14

Total Lunches Served ————————— 1,121.113

Average Daily Participation ———————— 6,406

Number of Students Approved For Free Meals — 4,244

Number of Students Approved For Reduced Meals -- 916

Number of Students Approved For Paid Meals —– 8,298

Percentage of Free and Reduced ——————— 62.18

Lunch Prices 2008-2009

Adult ——————————————————– 3.00
Student Reduced —————————————– .40
Student Paid (High Schools
& Middle Schools) ————————————— 1.50
Elementary Schools ————————————– 1.25

Breakfast

Federal Reimbursement
Received For 2004-2005 ————————— 700,268

Number Of Schools Participating ———————— 14

Total Breakfast Served —————————— 586,539

Average Daily Participation ————————— 3,351

Breakfast Prices 2008-2009

Adult —————————————————— 1.75

Student Paid ————————————————.50

Student Reduced —————————————— .25

After School Snack Program

The After-School Snack Program allows after school care programs with regularly scheduled activities in an organized structured environment to provide and claim reimbursement for snacks served to school age children.

Federal Reimbursement
Received In Year 2007-2008 ———————– 34,020
Total Schools Participating ——————————– 8
Total Snacks Served ——————————— 86,050
Average Daily Participation ————————— 486

In addition to the After-School Snacks, a free snack is provided to all pre-school and kindergarten students. This snack is served in the afternoon to supplement the small child who may get hungry before the dinner meal is served in home at night.

Summer Feeding Program

We realize that hunger does not stop when school is not in session. Many of our students who have depended on the school cafeteria for two meals a day may go hungry during the summer months when school is no longer in session. We partner with over 100 churches to provide meals for the children during Bible School and on Sunday mornings, Sunday nights, and Wednesday nights. We also provide meals at parks, camps, the YMCA, community centers, housing projects, libraries, and mobile home parks.

The Central Office staff volunteers do a bus route four days a week in some of the neediest areas of the county. A meal, along with a book and other items are passed out to the students. This is the highlight of the day for some of the students. They are always waiting at the bus stop for the bus to arrive with their meal.

Federal Reimbursement
Received For Year 2007-2008——————– 193,170

Total Sites Participating ———————— —–– 102

Total Number Of Meals Served —————– 56,257
 

Improvements Made This Year

More whole grain bread, buns and rolls are being served on the menu. All rolls are made in school kitchens. More fresh fruits and vegetables are being offered.

The menus are now analyzed for nutrient content. All menus meet the requirements for the meal pattern set forth in the federal regulations and are characterized by choice and variety.
Menus are sent home with every elementary student and is posted on the web site at www.pulaski.net.

Pulaski County has been awarded a fresh fruit and vegetable grant which provides fresh fruits and vegetables for students in their school. These fruits and vegetables are distributed to the class rooms and students are encouraged to eat the healthier foods.

New equipment was purchased for three schools this year. Combination ovens and steam kettles were installed at Southwestern, Burnside, and Southern Elementary.

The Food Service Office was moved to another building with better facilities this year. They now have a kitchen that is used as a test kitchen for developing and testing menu items.