Mission Statement
The mission of the Wilmington School Food Service Program is to serve adequate and nutritious foods that support academic success and encourage lifelong healthy eating patterns.
Organization
The Wilmington School Food Service Program consists of eight on-site kitchens - two kindergartens, four elementary, one middle school and one high school. The Food Service Administrator's Office is located at Wilmington High School.
The Food Service Program currently serves lunches at all school and provides before/after school feeding for the CARES program at the two kindergartens and four elementary schools. We strive to meet the needs of all students, both nutritionally and socially, by serving meals in a welcoming, pleasant atmosphere.
The School Lunch Program
The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program that provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. Congress created the NSLP after an investigation into the health of young men rejected in the World War II draft revealed a connection between physical deficiencies and childhood malnutrition. Congress enacted the 1946 National School Lunch Act as a “measure of national security, to safeguard the health and well-being of the Nation's children.” Our school lunch program complies with the United States Department of Agriculture's food based menu-planning system and nutrient standards, providing meals that meet 1/3 of the RDA (recommended dietary allowance) for calories, as well as required levels of other key nutrients, including fat, saturated fat, protein, vitamin A & C, iron, and calcium. Hot lunches are served daily in all the schools. Students may choose from a variety of lunch options including alternate meals at all grade levels. The high school has more choices including a salad bar and a pizza line. The middle and the high schools also have a snack bar with a wide variety of approved snack items.
Meal Components and Nutrient Information
There are meal components and quantities that must be offered to all students. We are required to serve foods that meet very strict dietary specifications, including limited the amount of sodium in foods, decreasing the number of calories and saturated fats, serving foods that are made with whole grains, and offering an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables on our menu.
Offer Versus Serve
Students in grades K-12 have the opportunity to select the items they would like to eat. This is called “offer versus serve”. Offer versus Serve was created to reduce plate waste and allow students to select foods they intend to eat. Under OvS a student is able to refuse two of the five food components offered to them at lunch, but they must take either a fruit or vegetable selection. The five food components that must be offered at lunch include: meat/meat alternate, grains that are whole grain rich, vegetable, fruit, and milk. They are able to refuse one of the four food items offered to them at breakfast under OvS, but also take a fruit or vegetable. The answer is we must make sure the students are selecting enough food to fulfill the requirements to meet the nutrient standards set forth in the federal meal programs. We also must make sure each student is taking a meal that meets the regulatory guidelines under OvS.
Our cafeteria staff has been very proactive with these nutrition initiatives and has been providing students with a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables daily.
Department Operating Status
Wilmington School Food Service Department is a self-supporting department within the School Department. All food and equipment purchases, most maintenance, all salaries including the Director and Secretary are paid from the Foodservice revolving account. Revenues obtained are used solely for the support and improvement of the School Food Service Program.
Meal Modifications
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) nondiscrimination regulation (7 CFR 15b), as well as the regulations governing the Child Nutrition Programs, make it clear that substitutions to the regular meal must be made, at no extra cost, for children who are unable to eat meals served in any Child Nutrition Programs (CNP) because of their disabilities. USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has issued SP 59-2016: Policy Memorandum on Modifications to Accommodate Disabilities in the School Meal Programs and CACFP 14-2017, SFSP 10-2017 Modifications to Accommodate Disabilities in the Child and Adult Care, which clarify that Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP ) institutions and facilities and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sponsors (Programoperators) and School Food Authorities (SFAs) are required to make reasonable modifications to accommodate children with disabilities. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office for Food and Nutrition Programs (FNP) will routinely review Program Operators/SFAs for documented compliance to these regulations during Administrative, Site and Home Reviews.
The Definition of a Disability:
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Amendments Act of 2008 made important changes to the meaning and interpretation of the term "disability." The changes demonstrated Congress's intent tor estore the broad scope of the ADA by making it easier for an individual to establish that he or she has a disability. After the passage of the ADA Amendments Act, most physical and mental impairments constitute a disability. Therefore, rather than focusing on whether or not a student has a disability, Program Operators/SFAs should focus on working collaboratively with parents to ensure an equal opportunity to participate in the school meal programs and receive program benefits.
Non-Discrimination Statement
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
1. mail:
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
3. email:
[email protected]
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.