A Tale Of Two Lunches: Newark Schools See Praise, Complaints

NEWARK, NJ — There's a tale of two lunches developing in Newark.

On Friday, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA) commended Newark, as well as public school districts in Jackson and Bridgeton, for "exemplary" work with the National School Lunch Program, which provides low-cost or free meals to children.

Newark's public schools, which serve about 37,000 students, have been participating in the federal program for more than four decades.

"These school districts along with so many others have maintained a high standard of excellence," NJDA Secretary Douglas Fisher said.

• See related article: NJ Officials Praise Newark Schools For 'Excellent' Lunch Program

The Newark school district – New Jersey’s largest – also takes part in the School Breakfast Program, along with the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program and the Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. Its schools feed breakfast to nearly 90 percent of students on any given day during the year, ranking the city fifth in the U.S. among large districts.

But at the same time Newark’s schools are getting praised by state officials, the district is also facing complaints from some students and parents, who claim that the cafeteria food has taken a serious nosedive in recent months.

Supply chain issues and labor shortages caused by the coronavirus pandemic may be partly to blame, Chalkbeat Newark reported. Read the full article.

The challenges have forced some schools to pare down their lunch menus or find substitutes for hard-to-stock items. Some districts, including Newark, have also had to outsource some of their kitchen operations. Last month, the board approved a $3.9 million "emergency purchase" of prepared meals from New York-based Whitsons Food Service Corp.

Now, some students say there are less menu items and lower quality — a complaint many families lodged even before the pandemic, Chalkbeat reported.

"A lot of kids at school don't eat lunch because it's not good," a high school student said. "It's times where it's so bad you just don't eat all day. You just wait until you go home."

Are you a student, parent or school community member in Newark? What do YOU think about school lunches? Let us know in the comments section or take the poll below.

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