Food Service Message
Due to the recently released national and local news reports regarding sub-par school lunch programs, I thought I would familiarize you with what we do in New Prague.

Daily we offer the five food groups (meat, vegetable, fruit, bread, milk) in the correctly sized portions without super-size options. Milk choices include 2%, skim, chocolate skim, and lactate free. Chef salads are available at the K-5 buildings and full salad bars are available at the middle and senior high buildings. The elementary buildings offer a snack cart for grades K-5.

Recent changes include the purchase of vegetable steamers to retain more nutritional food value, offering of whole grain breads, and a switch to Trans-fat free oil in the schools' fryers. Purchased canned fruits are packed in their own juice or USDA fruits are packed in light syrup. We are continually searching to add other healthy choice items in our vegetable, fruit and snack options and the student response has been great.

All meat sauces are made from scratch with meat browned and rinsed to remove excess fat. Homemade soups are available at the senior high and the favorites are chicken wild rice, broccoli cheese and vomacka.

We are initiating a Food Service Advisor Board whose members include: Cheryl Malecha, Health Services Director for NPAS, Trista Robischon, School Board Member, Pat Pribyl, Raven Stream Elementary Principal, Mary Taylor, Dietician Queen of Peace, Jill Rohloff, Director of Fitness Center. They will assist in choosing food options for the middle school ala cart line and main food line as well as surveying the new Farm –to-School purchasing alternative. This locally grown produce includes apples, eggs and some fresh produce.

Our Food Service Program is self supporting and we receive no additional monies from the General Fund. Foods purchased by students and adults completely fund our program, including any repairs, maintenance and equipment upgrading. We employ 40 food service staff as well as 8 subs. A team leader is located in each building kitchen and the high school houses the food service director and his assistant.

Three times per week we utilize a phone calling and/or email system to notify parents/guardians when an account balance dips below $20.00. Payments are accepted by check, cash or online by credit card. Our Food Service Program is a PRE-PAID system and credit is not accepted.