Congressman Latham Visits Moulton to Propose School Food Service Bill
Superintendent Tom Ahart talks with Congressman Tom Latham during a visit to Moulton Extended Learning Center.
Congressman Tom Latham visited Moulton Extended Learning Center to announce that he was sponsoring legislation to help school districts improve and upgrade their food service operations.
The School Food Modernization Act would establish a loan and grant assistance program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help schools upgrade their kitchens and dining areas and acquire new equipment. It would also authorize funding for training of and technical assistance to school food service personnel throughout the country.
The Pew Charitable Trust is an advocate for improving nutrition for children and students. Jessica Donze Black, Pew’s expert on childhood nutrition, was also at Moulton and made the following comments about the proposed legislation:
“Many school kitchens were built decades ago to simply reheat and hold foods. As a result, many food service workers don’t have the training or tools required to bake, grill, and roast healthier foods. The need to upgrade school kitchen infrastructure and improve staff training is now more critical than ever. Schools’ needs vary tremendously. Some need funding for lower-cost items, while others might require a total kitchen overhaul. With more than 31 million children eating at least one meal provided by their school each day, this bill is the right step to ensure schools provide safer, healthier, and more appealing meals for millions of schoolchildren.”
