Highlands School District is mapping out its lunch menus a week at a time, rather than monthly, because disruptions in the nationwide food supply chain are impacting the availability of some food items, officials said.
As a result, Highlands food service employees are being forced to think quickly to plan menus for the more than 2,200 students at the district’s four campuses, the officials said.
“Last-minute menu changes may occur,” district spokeswoman Jen Goldberg said.
Menus for district schools can be found on Highlands’ website. Posted menus might not reflect necessary changes, Goldberg said.
Goldberg said the food service department is working hard to meet the needs for its planned entrees.
Highlands isn’t alone. The USDA is monitoring the national situation, according to its website.
“The National School Lunch and Breakfast programs have flexibilities built in to allow us to respond to on-the-ground realities,” the site said.
Disruption issues have plagued fast-food restaurants, grocery stores and others throughout the covid-19 pandemic.
Sheetz recently began greeting customers with signs on MTO kiosks.
Pray for Sheetz pic.twitter.com/jON6IPiTnF
— Dracula Awareness Activist (@bombsfall) September 24, 2021
“We may be out of your go-to favorites,” the banners read. “The nationwide supply struggle is real.”
Earlier this summer, Taco Bell was strained by a shortage of ingredients like beef and tortillas, staples for its menu.
According to a food economist at Oklahoma State University, the shortage in some cases has nothing to do with food.
Rodney Holcomb pointed to the availability of aluminum and cardboard used to ship the food.
Canned goods, like the industrial-sized orders of green beans and applesauce that schools order, may be paused because of the rising cost or unavailability of aluminum.
Highlands provides a free food program for all of its students. Provided through the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, the school community is eligible to receive free breakfast and lunch items.