As students say goodbye to the 2016-2017 school year and hello to the 2017-2018 school year, Bishop Noll will also be saying hello to new school lunches. Bishop Noll will no longer be provided food by Food Service Professionals, the Chicago-based school lunch provider for many Catholic schools in the Diocese of Gary and the Archdiocese of Chicago.    

  According to Mrs. Lorenza Pastrick, principal at Bishop Noll, FSP can no longer provide services to Indiana schools. The school is currently waiting for bids from other school lunch providers to come in; however, Bishop Noll does hold the right to become an independent provider.

  “Students need to understand that we operate under the federal school lunch program which hinders our options of items we can sell. For example, [if we have] french fries with cheese, we have to make sure all options fall within the guidelines,” says Pastrick. According to the New York Times, beginning immediately next school year, schools will be able to request an exemption from the whole grain requirements and delay the sodium mandate. Schools will also be allowed to serve 1 percent milk rather than nonfat milk.

  Not only will the food choices at Noll change but the lunch schedule will change as well. Lunch times next school year will not vary based on the daily schedule; students will receive lunch at the same time everyday.      

  A major problem this year at BNI has been the lack of food. Some students, specifically those who have second lunch, are unable to receive certain items in the lunch line because there is no food left.   “I would like more time for students to receive lunch and I also would like more warm breakfast options,” says Mrs. Pastrick.

However, many students do not eat the lunches that are provided which defeats the purpose of trying to promote healthy eating for the students.“If kids aren’t eating the food, and it’s ending up in the trash, they aren’t getting any nutrition — thus undermining the intent of the program,” said Mr. Perdue, who announced the changes with a signed proclamation after having lunch with students at Catoctin Elementary School in Leesburg, Va. Mr. Perdue, a former governor of Georgia.