MENDOTA – The students in district 289 in Mendota will not have to pay for breakfast or lunch next year. At the school board meeting Thursday night, Carrie Delhotel, food service director, announced that the district qualified for The Community Eligibility Provision, which allows for funds from the USDA to reimburse the school for meals for students. Around 60% of students in the district met the income qualifications for the program, which will remain in place for four years.
“We are going to be at 97.3% of our lunches are going to be reimbursed to us at the highest rate” Carrie Delhotel said, “which is at $4.33, so that extra money can be used to help pay for electricity for the kitchen and we can provide quality food for these kids”
Delhotel also stated that the district will also no longer use Arbor Management Inc. for meal service, and instead transition to their own “in house” staff and food supplier. New school lunch menu items were also presented, including pulled pork and sloppy joe nachos, plus a new pasta salad.
