Jan. 24—New federal lunch guidelines will no longer rule cafeterias at the Niskayuna (N.Y.) Central School District. Officials are looking to make the lunch program self-sustaining again after finding students have been throwing away more food, or not getting in line at all.
The Niskayuna Board of Education unanimously approved terminating the district’s participation in the National School Lunch Program effective April 1. The district’s lunch program is at a net operating loss of almost $70,500 from the start of this school year through December. At elementary schools, where lunch program participation is higher, only around 20 to 25 percent of students are purchasing lunch compared to 40 to 50 percent last year, according the district.