By Jef Rietsma
A state-funded program related to free breakfast and lunch at Michigan’s public schools has boosted the number of meals served daily at Vicksburg Community Schools.
Vicksburg Community Schools Food Service Director Sarah Dyer provided her annual report to board of education members during a Nov. 11 meeting. She said the Michigan Healthy Meals program contributed to an increase in breakfasts served from 24 percent of the district’s students in the 2022-23 academic year to 49 percent a year later, the first year of Michigan Healthy Meals.
Meanwhile, lunch participation went from 55 percent of the district’s students in 2022-23 to 78 percent in 2023-24.
“That means we’re having fewer student referrals, we hope, because when students have full bellies, then they’re not typically acting up,” she said.
Dyer, however, saved an even more impressive figure for later in her report. She said Vicksburg High School began serving Smart Mouth brand pizza last year and on a consistent basis starting in September.
Apparently, it’s a winner.
“We served just over 4,000 (individual-size) pizzas in September alone (and) we’re expecting to serve 36,000 Smart Mouth pizzas by the end of the school year,” she said. “We have one staff member who, that’s her total job, making pizza for her entire seven-hour shift.”
The district during the 2023-24 academic year approved the purchase of equipment necessary to prepare and bake the pizzas.
In addition to Smart Mouth pizza, Vicksburg High School students appear to have an affinity for the pasta bar. Dyer said 5,4000 pasta bar meals were served at the high school last year.
At Vicksburg Middle School, kitchen staff members make food homemade as much as possible. The menu includes teriyaki chicken with rice, and chicken alfredo with a breadstick. The school’s most popular lunch choice? Bosco Sticks. Dyer said 11,000 Bosco Sticks were served in 2023-24.
Popular choices at the elementary schools are grilled cheese sandwiches (3,850 served at the three schools combined last year) and walking taco (4,500). The elementary schools also have the option of a warm breakfast sandwich, typically featuring a croissant or biscuit.
Dyer said food service has enough in its budget to purchase new serving lines at all five schools in the district. She remains optimistic the new serving lines will be installed over Christmas break.
“The ones we have right now are from at least 50 years ago, so it’ll be a great upgrade,” Dyer said.
Dyer said Food Service, which has a staff of 19 people, is focusing on fresh fruits and vegetables over canned and dried – an option it has exercised almost exclusively the past two years.
Following the meeting, Superintendent Keevin O’Neill said Food Service under Dyer’s leadership brings great value to the district. The department’s commitment to quality and devotion to VCS students is appreciated, he noted.
“Food Service is a component of our district that I am really proud of,” he said. “It’s not always a glamorous job and so much of what they do is done behind the scenes. But we are very fortunate to have a solid team in Food Service. And I will admit, Big Mouth pizza is really good.”
In other news, O’Neill announced a community reception recognizing retiring board members Skip Knowles and Carol Lohman will take place 4 to 7 p.m. Dec. 11 at Indian Run Golf Club.
Knowles and Lohman joined the board in 1984. Their final board meeting after a 40-year commitment will be Dec. 9.
