ROYAL OAK, Mich. (WXYZ) — While elementary students in Warren's public schools were having corn dogs, baked beans, and carrots Friday, it was a whole different story in Royal Oak where the main entree was a one-ounce bag of Scooby-Doo Graham Cracker Sticks.
On Monday, the main entree was a .75 ounce bag of Cheddar Goldfish crackers in what Royal Oak Schools called a Goldfish Fun Lunch.
"What's a Goldfish Fun lunch? What does that mean?" said Claire Trzasko, mother of a 4th grader.
Megan DiPaola, mother of two elementary school students in the district was also stunned when she saw the menu.
"When I saw Goldfish crackers, the first day of school, I was I was blown away," DiPaola said. "It was as the main course."
District officials said they began the school year using grab-and-go lunches for elementary students because they expected a record number of students to participate in the universal free lunch program this year.
In a statement, Superintendent Mary Beth Fitzpatrick said, "For the first few weeks of September, as we get used to the volume and navigating our health protocols, they are serving bagged lunches."
But some parents believe the school simply delayed planning the menu for the young students until it was too late.
At Royal Oak's middle school and high school, this week's lunch menus included cheeseburgers and chicken sandwiches.
Click on the video to hear more in Kimberly Craig's report.
The following statement is from the superintendent:
All of the meals we serve must meet the guidelines of the federal school lunch program. Every meal served in Royal Oak Schools is first analyzed using a system to ensure it meets those guidelines Some lunch items are more popular than others.
We expect record numbers of students in the elementary schools to participate in the universal free lunch program this year. We are also welcoming back nearly all of the students to the school buildings. For the first few weeks of September, as we get used to the volume and navigating our health protocols, they are serving bagged lunches.
In order to provide better information about the contents of each lunch offering, a more specific menu has been created and is available on our website. Every lunch includes assorted fruits, vegetables, milk, yogurt, and cheese, plus a rotation of other foods weekly such as bagels, sandwiches, pancakes, or nachos.
Hot lunches for elementary students will be added to the menu starting September 27.
We always welcome parent and student feedback regarding our lunch program.
