State notes HISD's improper meal counts; breakfast program suspended

02:37 PM CST on Sunday, February 6, 2005

From 11 News Staff Reports

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Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra ordered HISD's "breakfast in the classroom" program suspended indefinitely after a state review found inadequate procedures for accounting for the number of meals served.

AP

Officials from the Texas Department of Agriculture visited six HISD schools last month that serve breakfast in the classroom and found that at five of the schools, teachers and food service staff were not properly accounting for the number of meals received and eaten.

"This is a very well-intentioned program that needs stricter controls and better management in each classroom in which it is served," said Dr. Saavedra. "Thousands of children have eaten good meals in the classroom because of this program, and that is important. But the meals must be accounted for appropriately, and we must ensure it does not disrupt learning."

The state officials found record-keeping problems in eight of the 22 school lunch programs visited. The state officials said, however, the school meal application process at HISD was very good with few errors.

State officials found problems at seven of eight after-school snack programs reviewed, and said they have serious concerns about those programs. In some of the after-school snack programs, the officials said snacks were claimed but not served to children.

Dr. Saavedra ordered an immediate review of the snack program and said the problems will be fixed.

HISD will improve training and other procedures during the suspension period. Dr. Saavedra said the breakfast in the classroom program will be suspended beginning Feb. 14, and will only be reinstated at a school when training and procedures have been improved, and only if the school's shared decision making committee wants the program reinstated.