Farmington School Officials Say They Addressed Students' Food Complaints

Farmington school officials say they have addressed student complaints about school lunches and are making some changes to cafeteria procedures. 

Chartwells has run the school's cafeteria services for about three years, according to administrators and students expressed concerns about the food quality, portion size and price, along with a policy that included throwing out food.

Bill Silva, principal of Farmington High School, said in a statement on Friday that he met with students on Tuesday and held another meeting on Thursday with five students, representatives of Chartwells and members of the high school administration. 

They agreed to make some changes, revised the charge procedure in the cafeteria and will be sending the information to all families. The school will also be establishing a Cafeteria Advisory Committee, which will include students, to ensure an ongoing dialogue; and arranging for any complaints about the cafeteria to be immediately communicated to the Director of Dining Services.

Local produce will continue to be delivered twice a week and fresh bread deliveries will continue to be made daily, school officials said. The Farmington Valley Health District will continue regular inspections of the FHS cafeteria.

School officials said Chartwells "will maintain its current standard of 100% of the FHS cafeteria workers trained and certified in food handling" and a Chartwells on-staff dietitian will continue weekly visits to the Farmington Public Schools.

The policy also calls for Chartwells' regional chef to visit Farmington High School in early November and every month thereafter for special demonstrations, training and in-service.

Earlier this week, student Sarah White said she found one Chartwells policy humiliating and it was the last straw in students' frustration.

“I was told I didn't have enough money left in my account to charge it and they threw it out in front of me," White said.

Silva said in a statement on Friday that students who had unpaid lunch balances brought food to purchase at the register. 

"They were offered a complimentary alternative meal.  Unfortunately, the food that was brought to the register had been handled and in some cases partially eaten, thus per health code, the food was discarded," Silva said.  

Farmington Superintendent Kathleen Greider said in a statement that district officials "deeply respect our students' opinions and honor the dignity of every student that attends the Farmington Schools."

"The Farmington school district works closely with Chartwells to provide healthy, nutritious and appealing meals to students that meet national dietary guidelines," Greider said. "These guidelines changed the year that Chartwells joined the Farmington school district. Even with these changes, we are currently experiencing very favorable participation levels in our lunch program, especially at the high school level. Students are provided a significant number of food options at the high school level and Chartwells strives to continuously enhance these options. In fact, Chartwells sends out periodic surveys to determine strengths, needs and to determine ways to deliver food options that are locally grown, fresh and nutritious."

Greider said that administrators at the district values feedback from students and that the Farmington district "serves as a leader in ensuring student voice is a centerpiece of our continuous improvement efforts across all schools."

"Again, we deeply respect our students’ opinions and honor the dignity of every student in our schools," Greider told NBC Connecticut. "In turn, FHS administration and Chartwells are working closely with the group of students that expressed concern and we are investigating the issue highlighted in your broadcast on the procedure followed by Chartwells at FHS when unpaid lunch balances exceeded the district’s established level."

The Farmington Valley Health District issued a statement, saying they had not received any complaints about food safety or reports of food-borne illness.

"As required by the CT Public Health Code, the food service operations located in the Farmington Public Schools are inspected by the Farmington Valley Health District. Unannounced inspections are conducted three times a school year.  The most recent inspection was conducted on September 11, 2014.  Routine inspections include assessment of wholesome and unadulterated food products, proper heating and cooling as well as food handling. The facility at the high school has consistently received satisfactory inspection results. The Farmington Valley Health District has not received any complaints regarding food safety nor has it received any confirmed reports of food-borne illness," the statement said.

Chartwells released a statement saying the company is dedicated to the health and wellness of the students of Farmington.

"We have a good relationship with students and have remained open to discussions, including regular surveys and a forum today with the concerned students. Since the start of our partnership, we have worked with the district to bring a team of registered dietitians, culinary professionals and skilled operators to deliver a great food program while adhering to USDA requirements. We continue to enhance our options, including the recent introduction of a grab-n-go salad bar, yogurt and granola bar, hand-pressed turkey burgers and a once-weekly brunch, all the while expanding the use of fresh ingredients. As an example, we have sourced over $85,000 of produce from local farms. We are committed to an open and productive dialogue, and will continue to work with the Farmington school community to ensure the best quality meal program," the statement says.

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