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Date: 9/21/2021
WEST SPRINGFIELD – Parents/guardians of students in the West Springfield Public Schools (WSPS) recently took to Facebook, to share their concerns with the quality and quantity of school breakfast and lunches.
In the initial post on the West Springfield, MA Forum, which has since disappeared from the forum, a parent claimed that their child often comes home from school hungry and has limited food options to choose from. Quickly, over 200 comments filtered in with similar claims, along with some new ones, such as the schools serving expired milk.
Dario Nardi, supervisor of School Cafeterias in West Springfield, addressed these concerns. He told Reminder Publishing, “I can assure you we are meeting all the requirements under the National School Lunch Program. All meals this year are served free of charge to all West Springfield students.”
He added, “Every school has its challenges with regards to meal service and the safety of all students.”
Nardi and his staff work closely with the administrators of each school, in order to provide meals and service requirements that meet their school's needs. “Safety is always first with regards to our students during these unpresented times,” he said.
“West Side has always maintained the highest standard for food service in Western Massachusetts and my staff prides itself on our accomplishments. With 72 percent participation, we far outpace most districts in the state. Hopefully as we open up more, our goal is to try and get back to what we did prior to March of 2020 and the pandemic,” said Nardi. “We would love to see the students back in the cafeteria selecting their own meals to include favorites like turkey and gravy, pasta, homemade pizza and the deli bars.”
Nardi encouraged anyone with concerns to contact him directly at nardi@wsps.org, 263-3180 or schoolnutrition@wsps.org.
To view the West Springfield Public Schools menu online, visit https://wsps.nutrislice.com/menu/menus-eula.