Atlantic Community School District Food Service Director Natalie Ritter, Wednesday, provided the school board an update with the latest developments in her department from the past few months, including a change in the free breakfast and lunch program for all district students, that began Sept. 21^st.

Atlantic CSD Food Service Director Natalie Ritter

The waiver application was approved the first week of this month. Ritter says since they’ve received approval to serve free breakfasts and lunches through the remainder of the current school year, they’ve seen an increase in the number of those students who participate, to around 75 on average. The waiver helps those who struggle to pay their lunch account balances and who are on the brink of receiving reduced lunches.

The only thing that has changed with the free breakfast and lunches is the billing at the end of the month and the paperwork the kitchen managers must do at the end of the day.

Ritter said the District’s Food Service Department is helping remote learners and quarantined kids, by providing “Grab n’ Go” meals that can be picked up Monday’s, from 3:15-to 3:30-p.m. The packages are enough for five days of meals – both breakfast and lunch.

Some of the meals have to be heated-up in the microwave or oven, prior to eating. Natalie says when parents request to be on the Grab n’ Go list, she sends out a Google.doc form for them to fill out. There are a total of 35 kids utilizing the opportunity, with emails coming in every day, she said, wanting to be added. She said also, the school’s “Farm to School Garden” has served local produce in the high school, middle school, Schuler and Washington Schools from August until the first part of October. That includes tomatoes, peppers and onions.

She said Junior Brian York was selected to be in charge of the garden and possibly turn it into a business. Natalie said Brian has done an amazing job taking care of the planting, harvesting and shipping to the food service departments. She hopes they can have more fresh produce options coming from the garden next year.