June 20—The Catlin (Ill.) school district will provide its own meal program in the upcoming school year, and is currently taking orders for items that students and their parents would like to see on lunch trays.
School officials decided to pull out of the National School Lunch Program earlier this spring, after seeing a decline in the number of meals that were served and too much food going into the garbage last year.
Superintendent Gary Lewis said close to 120 people have already responded to a lunch survey that was posted on the district's website earlier this month. So far, feedback from the survey and parents he has run into has been positive, said Lewis, who has assured them that meals — which will feature fruits and vegetables, multi-grain bread options and reduced fat and sodium products — will be nutritious but also flavorful and appealing to kids.