District 211 celebrates 1 million meals served this school year

A lucky student helped High School District 211 reach an impressive milestone on May 18.

As he stood in the Hoffman Estates High School cafeteria food line, little did freshman student Jett Dennis know he would be a part of the district's food service department celebrating its 1 millionth meal served during this school year.

"I was very surprised," said Jett after the announcement during lunch. "It is nice how the school provides us with a good lunch that we can eat and enjoy every day."

Jett went to purchase his lunch when the milestone celebration kicked off. The marching band played, and food service staff and administrators presented him with a certificate and balloons. Students in the cafeteria during Jett's lunch period also joined in the celebration by receiving free cookies and apple slices. Also as part of the celebration, the H.E.H.S. food service staff prepared and served a special meal for Jett and seven of his friends, which included pizza and brownies, on Monday, May 22.

The food service department has made it a priority to provide and serve delicious, well-balanced meals. District 211 increased total meals served during a single school year from approximately 800,000 to over 1 million meals since 2011-2012. This is a 25 percent increase in complete meals served in the past five years. Each school offers 12-15 different entree choices daily, which can be built into a complete meal by adding fruit, vegetables and milk.

Many of the menu items offered are made from scratch by the district's cooks and bakers, including soups, French bread, granola, biscuits and main entrees.

"We are proud of achieving this milestone, as our programs have undergone significant changes due to the new USDA guidelines," said Stacy Lenihan, District 211 director of food service. "This success can be attributed to the department's focus on serving our customers appetizing and nutritious meal options."

For information about school meals, visit the D211 Food Service website at https://adc.d211.org/operations/food-service.

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