FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4/26/18

CONTACT:
Adam Freudberg
Chair, Framingham School Committee
afreudberg@framingham.k12.ma.us
508-688-2056

CITY OF FRAMINGHAM SCHOOL COMMITTEE VOTES TO APPROVE IMMEDIATE REFORMS FOR SCHOOL FOOD SERVICES

New provision across all middle schools and Framingham High School enacted to ensure all students are eligible to be served breakfast and lunch

Framingham, MA - Last night the City of Framingham’s School Committee voted 9-0 to immediately institute a new meal policy.  This effort ensures that all students will be provided breakfast and lunch, regardless of their meal account balance. Accounts will still be charged, yet a student’s daily balance will have no negative impact on receiving a meal.  The committee also discussed the need for Central Office Administration to increase efforts to offer customer-friendly case management to parents and guardians on food services.

The new policy mirrors existing Elementary School policy and now adds it to Cameron, Fuller, and Walsh Middle Schools, as well as Framingham High School so no student is denied a breakfast or lunch meal at school.  Additionally the policy states that no middle or high school student will be made aware of a negative meal account balance in the checkout process, nor singled out nor treated in any different way from students with positive meal account balances.

“This proactive approach by the entire School Committee is a move to support Framingham’s students and make sure 100% of the kids who want a school breakfast or lunch receive it,” said Adam Freudberg, Chair of the Framingham School Committee, District 4.  “We want our students to focus daily on active learning along their path to reach high levels of achievement - not focus nor worry about having access to a meal.”

Text of the New Policy - “The Framingham School Committee by this vote institutes a meal policy at the Middle Schools and High School, which is the same as that in effect in the Elementary Schools, to the degree that no student is denied a single reimbursable lunch meal or single reimbursable breakfast meal at school (a la carte items/snacks that are not part of the USDA Program, however, are not included).  No middle or high school student will be made aware of a negative meal account balance in the checkout process, nor singled out nor treated in any different way from students with positive meal account balances. All middle and high school students will be notified of this policy change on the day following this vote, by a communication at each school. This policy will remain in effect until it is replaced by vote of the School Committee.”

Moving forward the School Committee and Superintendent also discussed their mutual goal to use the School Committee’s Policy Subcommittee as well as the Finance & Operations Subcommittee to:

• Track the progress of this new policy at all upcoming School Committee meetings.  The next two meetings are scheduled for May 2 and May 16, both at 7 p.m. at King Elementary School;

• Review the district’s school meal guidelines;

• Consider policies from other districts in an effort to cull best practices and build them into a more robust Framingham Public Schools policy;

• Consider the financial impact of any proposed policy language; and

• Ensure compliance with all applicable federal guidelines and laws.

The goal of the Framingham Public Schools Food Services Department is to make a significant contribution to the general well being, mental and physical capacity, and learning ability of each student in the school district and afford them the opportunity to fully participate in the education process.  This will be achieved by providing all students with wholesome, nutritious, and appetizing meals, served in a courteous manner, in a sanitary and pleasant dining environment.

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