Skip To Main Content

Changes in Child Nutrition

Published January 15, 2009

Some big changes are coming to the Williamson County Schools Child Nutrition Department. Starting this semester, the department will begin revamping the way it serves food to the nearly 30,000 students in our district.

Among the changes: no more fried food. In the weeks and months ahead, Williamson County Schools will begin removing the fryers at schools across the district. In the meantime, all of the schools have cut back on the number of days they

serve fried food, and some have stopped completely.

“The reason to stop frying is to serve a healthier product to our students,” says Williamson County Schools Child Nutrition Director James Remete. “By the start of next school year, all schools will no longer be frying any foods.”

Another change on the horizon will involve a new payment plan for parents. Beginning in April, the district will pilot an online payment service at three Williamson County schools. “The new payment service will allow parents to pay for meals online rather than sending cash or checks to the school with their children,” says Remete. “Parents will be able to manage the entire family’s school lunch accounts from their home or office, and view their child’s eating history online.” In addition, parents will receive an e-mail alert when their child’s account balance reaches a certain level. The online payment service could be available to the entire district as early as August.

The Child Nutrition Department is also working to create an online virtual cafeteria, which would allow parents and students to see which foods the district is offering for breakfast and lunch and view nutritional information for each item. “The goal is to help educate the students on the importance of making healthy choices,” says Remete. “By also offering online educational opportunities related to nutrition and physical activity, we hope to encourage small steps toward living a healthier life.” Remete hopes to have the online virtual cafeteria up and running sometime next school year.