Toms River Schools Address Free Meal Complaints

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Amid complaints from parents about the items included in free meals that are being sent home with students, the Toms River Regional School District sent home a letter Monday to clarify a recent change to the program.

The school district — like many around the state — is providing free meals to students during the coronavirus pandemic with federal funding granted for that purpose. The goal has been to ensure that all students are getting fed, especially those from low-income families and families who suffered job losses as a result of the pandemic.

Before Spring Break, the district announced a change in the program, shifting from sending home food daily to sending a box with six meals per student — three breakfasts, three lunches — twice a week. But the contents of those meals drew complaints ranging from them being inadequate to items kids wouldn't eat, going so far to call it "garbage". Some of the items included granola bars, beef jerky and snack crackers.

In the letter to parents and guardians, interim Superintendent Thomas Gialanella acknowledged the complaints.

"We understand these meal kits provide different options than what our students have grown accustomed to over the years, and so I thought it warranted to provide some additional information as to how and why this transition was implemented," Gialanella said.

He said the limited workforce "for both food preparation and distribution" and the needs of so many families for food led to the primary goal of "being able to provide shelf-stable, peanut-free, and more easily distributable meals that meet and surpass state and federal nutrition guidelines."

"Our Food Services Department has welcomed feedback on its meal kits and is continuing to make adjustments where necessary, making all attempts to include items that are as appealing as they are nutritious," Gialanella said.

He said the boxed meal kits program likely will continue through the end of the school year, and a summer meals program to make available free, healthy, and prepackaged items to students when school is not in session is in the works.

Gialanella said the district is anticipating that a return to normalcy in the fall will bring the likelihood of students eating in school again, and the free meals program will be reviewed.

"Weare proud to be able to offer free meals to all of our students, and we plan to keep you informed if and when we make any future adjustments to the program," Gialanella said.

This article has been updated with a photo of one of the Toms River Schools' meal kits.

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