Two weeks ago, Every Tray Counts received an exciting email from several people that live in Durham and are involved with helping the public school lunch rooms go compostable! This is from an email sent to parents and others in Durham from the Executive Director-School Nutrition Services of DPS.
“School Nutrition Services of Durham Public Schools has committed to purchasing a compostable tray for all schools for the 2017-2018 school year. This is an additional expense which School Nutrition feels is necessary to meet the need of our students.”
This is awesome news as ETC and many others started a pilot program at E.K. Powe Elementary School in 2014. Just a reminder that “Durham Public Schools is one of the top 10 largest in the state, serving some 34,000 students in both the city and county of Durham. Durham’s public schools are nearly as diverse as our 270,000 residents. The school system offers a wealth of options for students and families; we have something for every kind of learner.”
The Durham Public Schools website even says that school nutrition program leads the state in providing healthy, “farm to school” meal choices, and “every single one of our students can eat breakfast at school for free.”
Durham has 33,941 students at this time, and 22,456 students (66%) receive free and reduced lunch. DPS can now proudly add to its accomplishments that it is watching out for the health and environmental safety of all of Durham’s residents!