Students in Fairfax County Public Schools may be getting their lunches free this year, but that doesn’t mean they’re getting the offerings they want.
County school officials have acknowledged that a bump up in breakfast- and lunch-participation rates, plus nationwide supply-chain issues, have resulted in fewer menu options for students.
The school system “is experiencing shortages for a number of food and beverage items due to volume increases in all K-12 food programs nationally,” school officials said.
“Isolated vendor issues continue, due to a lack of delivery drivers and vendor equipment failures. As a result, menus are subject to change, but every effort is being made to keep menus stable and offer ample selections while meeting federal nutritional guidelines,” officials said.
As the school year progresses and industries stabilize, additional menu options will be added, school officials said, thanking parents and students for their “patience and understanding as we work through these challenging times.”