Oregon School Meals Receive Mixed Reviews in Yearly Report Card
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Oregon was given an “outstanding” rating in four areas, a “satisfactory” rating in another four areas and an “in need of improvement” rating for three. It received high scores for offering all school districts in the state access to additional funding for healthy meals and offering free breakfast at 95 percent of schools.
Not Taking Advantage
Oregon also scored high marks for increasing funding for its Farm to School Programs and increasing access to free meals.
Earlier this year, the State Legislature provided more than $4.5 million in grants to Farm to School programs. The program helps schools provide fresh and local meals to students. The State now also covers free meals for more than 30,000 students from low-income families.
However, the report said that not all students eligible for free and reduced-price meals take advantage of the program. Only 37 percent of eligible student eat free breakfast, a level that was marked for improvement in the report. 66 percent eligible students of eat school lunch each day, enough to earn the state a “satisfactory rating.”
That may soon change, thanks to a federal program that allows schools with many low-income students to provide free meals to all students at the school, minimizing the stigma associated with it. Schools will also now be able to offer “breakfast after the bell” allowing impoverished students who cannot get to school early enough to have breakfast before school starts time to eat their first meal after the school day begins.
Room for Improvement
The availability of fresh water at schools in Oregon needs to improve, according to the report.
Despite water ranking as the healthiest of beverage options, the report found that schools needed to do a better job of offering it to students. Many school buildings have not updated their water fountains since classes first began, and others are not clean or inviting.
The report also found that schools need to limit marketing for junk and snack foods. While Oregon received a satisfactory rating for keeping unhealthy foods away from students while they are in school, they were rebuked for allowing too much advertising and marketing from junk food companies on vending machines and in advertisements at gyms and schools.
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