Title
Calling on the School District of Philadelphia to reexamine its policies and practices concerning the provision of healthy, nutritious, and high-quality meals to Philadelphia public school students.
Body
WHEREAS, Every Philadelphia public school student deserves access to healthy, nutritious, and high-quality meals that support their growth, well-being, and ability to learn; and
WHEREAS, School meals are an essential part of the student experience and provide an important source of daily nourishment for children and families throughout Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, A meaningful assessment of school meals should consider nutritional value alongside freshness, taste, variety, appropriate serving temperatures, portion sizes, and whether students have sufficient time to eat; and
WHEREAS, Differences in school kitchen infrastructure, equipment, staffing, and preparation methods can affect the meals students receive, particularly in schools that rely on food prepared off-site, delivered, and reheated before service; and
WHEREAS, Public reporting has documented that meals served in some Philadelphia public schools have been prepared and packaged in Brooklyn, New York, transported to Philadelphia, and reheated before being served to students; and
WHEREAS, Research from Temple University’s RISE Lab reports that the share of Philadelphia households experiencing low or very low food security rose from 20.1 percent in 2019–20 to 24.5 percent in 2023–24, and for many students from these households, school meals are a primary and dependable source of nutritious food, including when breakfast is not available at home; and
WHEREAS, RISE Lab research further reports that, despite the availability of universal school meals, participation remains low across the District, at 32 percent for breakfast and 48 percent for lunch, and identifies barriers to participation that include stigma, lack of time and resources, competitive foods, and perceptions of food quality; and
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