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, The District should examine its current meal preparation locations, the time between preparation and service, transportation and storage conditions, and opportunities to improve freshness and quality through local meal production; and
WHEREAS, Examining disparities between schools with full-service kitchens and those with satellite kitchens can help identify necessary investments and ensure that students have equitable access to quality meals regardless of the school they attend; and
WHEREAS, Student participation, food waste, and feedback from students, families, and school staff are important measures for assessing whether school meal programs are meeting students’ needs; and
WHEREAS, Temple University’s ...
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