SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE / BRETT CRAWFORD Jasmine Santiago, 15, a freshman at Fitchburg High School, reaches for a fruit cup during lunch on Friday.
While other areas are suffering school-lunch revenue losses due to new federal nutrition guidelines put in place at the beginning of this school year, local districts seem to be reporting only small decreases in lunch participation rates.
Jill Lucius, nutrition-services director for Sodexo-managed Fitchburg schools cafeterias, said Friday the district is experiencing about a 4 percent decline in lunch participation from last year.
In October 2011, 82 percent of the district's students bought lunch, while in October 2012, 78 percent did, she said. In February 2012, there was 81 percent participation, while this past February saw 77 percent, Lucius said.
These numbers, however, are skewed a bit by the district's high free- and reduced-lunch rate. This school year, about 71 percent of Fitchburg students qualified for free lunch, while 6 percent qualified for reduced lunch, according to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
When it comes to the remaining 23 percent that pay full price, however, that is where the district is seeing the sharpest decline in lunch participation.
"It's so obvious when you look at the numbers, that the paid category is where we're having a problem," Lucius said.
In October 2011, 60 percent of these students bought lunches, compared to only 43 percent in October 2012, she said. In February 2012, 56 percent bought lunch compared to 42 percent this past February, Lucius said. While there has been
Lucius believes Fitchburg is experiencing a smaller decline than other districts due to early implementation of the guidelines set forth by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Students are, for the most part, well-accustomed to the healthier food, she said.
Lucius said there are many more factors affecting school-lunch participation
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Federal nutrition changes nibble at region's school lunch programs