As the Columbia School District adds more “homemade” options to its menu, the number of students utilizes the food service is increasing.
Nicole Bass, child nutrition director, gave an update at the Nov. 15 school board meeting held at Columbia Elementary School.
“We heard from the students in feedback, and they wanted more home-style meals,” she said. “In October, we put two entrées on the menu. We brought back some meals such as John Wayne Casserole and beef tips over rice. At the high school, the kids wanted hot wings. So this month, we had hot wings for them. I think they thoroughly enjoyed that.”
Adding a second entrée has increased participation in the lunch program, according to Bass. At Columbia Primary School participation increased 3.65 percent, at Columbia Elementary it went up 5.8 percent, at Jefferson Middle School the increase was 2.85 percent and at Columbia High School, the lunches served increased by 2.33 percent.
“We are continuing to listen to our students,” Bass said. “If it is something we can do within the state regulations, we’d be happy to. We want them to thrive on meals that they would enjoy.”
Bass also shared insight on composing the menus.
“Five components make up a meal; meat, grains, vegetables, fruit and milk,” she said. “A lot of people ask us why we serve certain vegetables. The kids would love French fries every day, but the state regulates us to have particular vegetables such as dark greens, red or oranges, which is sweet potatoes, carrots and things like that, beans and some starches. When we can throw in those starches, like fries, they love those days. Through the process we also have to regulate the calories, the maximum and minimum calories, the sodium intake and trans fats. There’s a lot that goes into the process of planning the menus.”
Bass also shared statistics about the district’s food service including that 1,225 students out of 1,643 qualify under the free and reduced lunch program, which is about 75 percent of the population. The high number helps the district obtain funding.
In other business Thursday, the board:
• Accepted the resignation of Jefferson Middle School Art Teacher Rose Lau and transferred third-grade teacher Carol Harr from Columbia Elementary School to art teacher at Jefferson.
• Hired Annette Taylor and Latasha Magee as school crossing guards.
• Hired Vicki Miller as a long-term substitute tacher.
• Hired Magnolia Webber as JMS and CHS basketball bookkeeper.
• Hired Treacherous Boyance as JMS and CHS basketball clock operator.
• Named Lindsay Ball and Amanda Gibson as JMS Beta club sponsors.
• Named Jamie Morgan and Jami Owen as JMS Student Council sponsors.
• Hired Linda Strickland as a substitute bus driver.
• Hired Connor Daugherty as a 21st Century Power Hour/homework tutor aide.
• Hired Raymond Powell, who retired last year as Jefferson’s principal, as a substitute teacher.
• Hired Brooke Randall as a substitute teacher.
• Accepted a donation of $1,040 to the CHS Art Department from senior Skylar Boyd. The donation was part of Boyd’s Senior Project community service. The funds will be used to purchase equipment and supplies at CHS.
• Authorized the destruction of records of special education students who have not been enrolled in the district for five years or more.
• Authorized JMS band director William Frazier to travel out of state to Chicago to attend the Midwest Band Clinic Dec. 17 to Dec. 22.
• Authorized the CHS Book Club to host a Wildcat Coffee Café once a month from November 2018 until May 2019.
• Authorized several school fundraisers.
• Authorized removal of equipment from the district’s inventory that is beyond repair.
The next school board meeting is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. on Dec. 13 at Columbia High School.
