Summer food service program begins at Waukesha schools

Scott Ash
Waukesha South High School
Published on: 6/27/2016

The Waukesha School District will be serving up food all summer long.

The district recently announced the sponsorship of the Summer Food Service Program, stressing the importance of offering nutritious meals to children during the summer months.

The Summer Food Service Program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, provides nutritious meals to children during the summer, when free and reduced-price school meals are typically unavailable.

It makes free meals available to children who are 18 or under. Those over 18 years of age who are determined by a state or local public educational agency to be mentally or physically disabled and who also participate in a public or private non-profit school program during the regular school year are also eligible to receive free meals.

'This program fills a void created when school lunches are not available,' said Brian Mand, general manager of Aramark, the district's new food service provider. 'Helping parents meet the nutritional needs of their children is the strength of this program.'

The program has expanded somewhat this year, Superintendent Todd Gray said.

Although the district has had this program in one form or another for years, it will be its first with food service provider Aramark, which recently signed a contract with the district, ending the district's 17-year partnership with food service provider Sodexo. This will be Aramark's first time in the kitchens of Waukesha schools.

Schools will be serving free meals from June 27 to July 22 at the following locations: Banting Elementary School, Blair Elementary School, Randall STEM School, Horning Middle School, and Waukesha South High School.

The Summer Food Service Program provides both breakfast and lunch with different locations starting service at various times throughout the day to accommodate schedules. Meals are provided to eligible children regardless of race, color, national origin, age, gender or disability and there will be no discrimination in the course of meal service.

Serving times

Here's the serving schedule for the various locations:

Breakfast

·From 7:40 to 8:05 a.m. at Banting, 2019 Butler Drive;, Blair, 301 Hyde Park Ave.; and Randall STEM, 114 S Charles St.

·From 7:30 to 8:00 a.m. at Horning Middle School, 2000 Wolf Road

·From 7 a.m. to 7:20 a.m. at Waukesha South High School, 401 E Roberta Ave.

Lunch

·From noon to 12:25 p.m. at Banting, Blair and Randall STEM elementary schools

·From 11:40 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. at Horning Middle School

·From 12:40 to 1 p.m. at Waukesha South High School