Anne Arundel County Public Schools’ Division of Food and Nutrition Services has earned an “A” grade from Healthy School Food Maryland (HSFM), a parent and student organization that advocates for healthy and nutritious meal offerings for students.
AACPS’ grade is just one of two “A” grades given by HFSM. Howard County received the other, earning an “A+”.
HSFM calculates scores in 13 different categories that reflect a school system’s commitment to inititiaves such as reducing sugar, offering fruits and vegetables, the presence of farm to school and wellness programs, transparency and meal variety. School systems receive from 0 to 4 points in each category. AACPS received 37 out of a possible 52 points, a five-point increase over last year.
“Supervisor Jodi Risse and our entire Food and Nutrition Services team go to incredible lengths not just during the school year, but all year, to ensure children have access to high quality, healthy meals accompanied by unlimited fruits and vegetables,” Superintendent George Arlotto said. “This report reinforces the work our team does every day to create communities of wellness that start with our children.”
In the 2018-2019 school year, AACPS’ Division of Food and Nutrition Services served approximately 5.9 million lunches, 3.4 million breakfasts, 115,000 dinner meals, and 100,000 summer meals. The school system is offering summer meals from Monday through Thursday again this summer at 46 locations, summer mobile meals stops at 21 locations, and a weekly Farmer’s Market from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Mondays at Brooklyn Park Middle School.
To view the complete HSFM report card for all state school systems, click here.