AVON-BY-THE-SEA — Avon Elementary School will be getting a new caterer for school lunches under a resolution approved by the board of education meeting on June 14.
Resolution number 20 under the Other Business section of the agenda read “the facilities of the Avon-By-The-Sea Board of Education are not adequate for the economical preparation of lunches and breakfast for school children, while the facilities of the Belmar Board of Education are adequate for such purposes.”
According to Business Administrator Amy Lerner, she had the opportunity to visit Belmar Elementary School and see firsthand the difference between the current meals being served at Avon School and the potential meals that could be served. According to Ms. Lerner, the switch would also allow for students to have options including a hot lunch as well as a cold lunch choice of a sandwich or salad.
“I have met with the Belmar Board of Education in the last few months and they use Simplified Culinary as their provider,” said Ms. Lerner. “They are more than willing to take us on.”
Also mentioned during this discussion was the fact that Avon School has reached the threshold of 18 percent of students who receive free and reduced lunch, which means the school must now offer breakfast to students as well. According to the resolution, the Avon-by-the-Sea Lunch Program for the 2023-2024 school year will be priced at $3.75 per lunch and $2 per breakfast.
“The national school lunch program guidelines say that if we have more than 10 percent of our students who receive free and reduced lunch, we have to provide breakfast,” said Ms. Lerner.
“We would have to look into whether we do cafeteria or just bring it to the classroom,” said Superintendent of Avon School Michael-John Herits.
Check out our other Avon-by-the-Sea stories, updated daily. And remember to pick up a copy of The Coast Star—on newsstands Thursday or online in our e-Edition.
Subscribe today! If you're not already an annual subscriber to The Coast Star, get your subscription today! For just $38 per year, you will receive local mail delivery weekly, with pages and pages of local news and online access to our e-edition on Starnewsgroup.com.
For more on this story, read the next edition of The Coast Star—on newsstands Thursday or online in our e-Edition.
