TONTOGANY – Otsego Local Schools students may see an expansion of their lunch options when classes start back up in the fall.
A baked potato bar, a pasta bar, a fajita bar and Throwback Thursday are all under consideration.
“We can just bring something different to the program,” said food service director Emily Bires. “Give them more choices because these kids get bored with the same thing.”
Bires gave an update at Thursday’s board of education meeting.
She said the school already has added soup to its salad bar and can start changing the menu to add more offerings to students.
Subs also are an option for next school year.
“Everybody loves the Subway concept – go in there and make a sandwich,” she said.
This concept has been added at Northwood Local Schools, where Bires also is the food service director, and she said she thought it would be a good fit at Otsego.
At Northwood, they offer provolone cheese, salami, turkey, ham, homemade tuna fish, chicken salad and egg salad.
“We could find a way to do that,” she said about the Otsego kitchen layout. “I think it would be great for the kids.”
The Throwback Thursday idea would bring back such meals as hamburger and gravy with mashed potatoes, and Jell-O with fruit. Bires lifted a large three-ring binder and said she had all the recipes.
“We just have to be more creative on what we can do,” she said.
Board member Jessica Mehl said her kids appreciate the Knight chicken bowls and have asked her to make them at home.
High school Principal Kevin O’Shea said he always knows when it is Knights chicken bowl days because the line stretches from the kitchen down the hallway to the high school office.
Superintendent Adam Koch said he liked the idea of more “customers” and getting meal options to the students.
“I think the kids will love it,” O’Shea said about the new options.
The goal for next school year is to collaborate on how to implement the hot food bars and the sub sandwich bar, Bires said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will continue to allow free breakfast and lunch for all students once school resumes in the fall.
The district has gone from averaging 500 meals a day to 600 meals May 21 at the elementary, Bires said.
“These kids can now get a meal and not worry how they’re going to pay for it,” she said.
The district will continue to be reimbursed for meals served, Bires said.
Otsego also will continue its summer food program, starting June 14, with servings for five days at each pick-up. Two times will be open for meal pick-up – from 11 a.m. to noon and from 4-5 p.m.
Hunger Alliance has started supplying free boxed lunches. Each box contains two weekend meals and also are being sent home with families. They will continue to be distributed next year.
“I thought that was a good thing to do here for our families in the district,” Bires said. “Any time we can get any free meals, I’m jumping on that band wagon to do that for our families.”
The extended care program at the elementary school will receive free meals this summer. Football and basketball players, who have practices back to back, also will get a snack in between, said Treasurer Steve Carroll, who also is the varsity boys basketball coach.
When the football team starts its two-a-days, they also will receive a free lunch, said Eva Vasher, director of transportation, maintenance and custodial services.
Also at the meeting, the board:
• Congratulated Devin Buchs on earning his high school diploma, which was presented by O’Shea.
Buch was short on required credits and didn’t graduate with his classmates in 2019, O’Shea said.
“The one thing I can say about Devin is the man doesn’t quit,” he said, adding Buchs has been working with Career Based Intervention to gain the necessary credits.
• Learned from Koch that 20 out of 175 staff members and 52 out of 1,700 students tested positive for coronavirus since classes started in person five days a week in August.
• Recognized Erin Anderson for serving as a student liaison on the school board for three years. She graduated this year and will attend Bowling Green State University to study education.
June 01, 2021 at 10:00PM
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Otsego may add baked potato, pasta, fajita bar to lunch options - Sentinel-Tribune
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