A presentation made to the Board of Education in Colorado has led several members of the board to propose changes to how school lunches are served in Westminster and other Jefferson County cities.
The presentation was made by executives from Food and Nutrition Services. Beth Wallace spoke on behalf of the organization and detailed how the district plans to increase the number of students taking school lunches in Jefferson County from 32% in 2018-2019 to 37% by 2024-2025. At present, Jefferson County’s 32% puts it lower than most of the surrounding counties. Denver’s average is 49% and Cherry Creek School District’s is 43%. The lowest was Boulder Valley with 27%.
Boulder Valley is the only nearby school district with average lunch prices higher than they are in Jeffco, but Wallace does not believe that decreasing the cost of lunch is the best way to increase school lunch participation. She believes that the best way to increase participation is by giving the students in Jeffco cities more time to eat.
When looking at the data regarding how much time schoolchildren have for lunch, Brad Rupert, who is a member of the board, stated:
“We can do all the remodels in the world, we can have the greatest Menus in the world, but if a kid has to spend seven minutes of their fifteen waiting, they have eight minutes to wolf it all down. They’re not going to be able to eat it all.”
Increasing lunchtime is one measure the board hopes to implement by 2020. They also hope to make school lunches more nutritious and attractive to the students. Food Packaging with graphic design that promotes the nutritional quality of food is one way of making certain foods more appealing.
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