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North Vancouver school district nixes free hot lunch program

Program shifts from hot lunch to healthy snacks aimed at reducing food waste, boosting nutrition
food program

A school district-funded food program that’s been providing hot lunches to kids at some North Vancouver schools for the past two decades is being replaced by a program that will provide different types of food to more kids, but will phase out the hot lunches.

Those in charge of the program say changes will make healthy food available to more kids who come to school hungry or don’t have enough nutritious food in their backpacks. They also say it’ll help cut down on a large amount of food wasted by the current program.

A few people have raised questions, however, about whether the snacks provided can take the place of a hot meal for the students who really need it.

The hot lunch program run by the North Vancouver School District doesn’t attract much attention.

But at a cost of about $300,000 annually, the program has been making a hot lunch available daily to students at four schools with a high proportion of vulnerable students, including Norgate, Queen Mary, Ridgeway and Westview elementary.

The program provides a hot lunch item through a contracted provider – soup, stew or a burrito, for example – that’s distributed by school support staff. Parents have the option of paying for the lunch, but for families who can’t afford it, the school district covers the cost.

The lunch program is good in theory, says Monty Bell, director of instruction and learning for the North Vancouver School District.

Research has shown there’s a high correlation between kids having a balanced diet of nutritious food and better ability to concentrate in class and regulate behaviour, he said.

But some kids come to school without good food.

Bell said the best estimate is there is “no less than three per cent of the (student) population coming to school in need of food security.” In some schools, that may be as high as 15 per cent of all students.

Schools targeted for hot lunch programs are those where socio-economic factors – including low incomes, high numbers of single-parent families or children in government care – have pointed to a need.

In some cases, families have the financial means to provide good food, but find it difficult to come up with balanced school lunches day after day.

“Sometimes it’s just the rush,” said Bell.

But one of the big problems with the hot lunch program is students don’t get a choice, said Bell – which limits the appeal.

That’s resulted in dwindling numbers of lunches being picked up, he said.

More disturbingly, about 60 per cent of the food is being wasted, he added.

Bell said the other problem is that some kids who need help at other schools or at times other than lunch haven’t been getting it.

Under the new program – expected to cost about the same – no hot lunch will be offered, but students at all schools in the district will have access to healthy snacks like cheese strips, granola bars and fruit for no charge if they want it.

Carolyn Pena, president of the North Vancouver Teachers Association, said she’s heard some concerns raised by teachers about the changes.

“Is it going to provide the same level of nutritious food?” she asked. “It doesn’t sound like it’s a full meal. It might just be snacks. We don’t have a lot of information about that yet.”

Pena said some teachers feel it would make more sense for the program to focus on making sure the most vulnerable students have access to a “robust program” rather than making sure snacks are available for everyone.

Bell said a test of the new food access program run in several schools this year showed it is popular with students.