Pascrell Supports Federal Oversight of Paterson School Lunches Program

U.S. Agriculture Department engaged with Paterson Public Schools after congressional inquiry in wake of school meals scandal

PATERSON, NJ – U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) today supports the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) work with Paterson public school administrators and urged close monitoring of the Paterson lunch program to make sure meals served to students are up to federal standards.

On September 21, pictures surfaced online of ‘mystery meat’ and improperly prepared cheesesteak being served in the cafeteria at International High School in Paterson. Just a week later, on September 30, pictures of only a single slice of processed turkey and carrots being served to kindergartners at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex in Paterson surfaced, further outraging the community. The Congressman’s office reached out to USDA for immediate assistance upon learning of the reports.

“The guidance, technical assistance, and oversight that USDA and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture have provided…is critical to ensuring that corrective action is taken and deficient meals are never again served to Paterson students,” Rep. Pascrell writes Administrator Cindy Long. “We must be certain federal dollars supporting free school breakfast and lunch are put to proper use, and the unacceptable meals we’ve seen in Paterson of late do not reappear.”

All Paterson students are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at no charge as part of the USDA’s National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. Guaranteeing no student ever goes hungry or malnourished is a cornerstone of our public education system.

The text of Rep. Pascrell’s letter is provided below.

October 8, 2021

The Honorable Cindy Long

Administrator

United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service

3101 Park Center Drive

Alexandria, VA 22302

Dear Administrator Long:

Thank you for your continued work to strengthen our nation’s food systems and expand our emergency food network so states, schools, and food banks can reliably serve communities in need. Following outreach from my office, I appreciate your department’s prompt attention to deeply troubling reports regarding wholly substandard meals being fed to students in the Paterson Public School District (PPSD). We can and must do better for our students.

On September 21, pictures surfaced online of ‘mystery meat’ and improperly prepared cheesesteak being served in the cafeteria at International High School in Paterson, prompting immediate responses from PPSD that action would be taken.^[1] Just a week later, on September 30, pictures of only a single slice of processed turkey and carrots being served to kindergartners^[2] at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Complex in Paterson surfaced, rightly outraging our community. The meals being fed to our students fall short of the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.^[3]

Through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), all PPSD students are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at no charge as part of the USDA’s National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. Guaranteeing no student ever goes hungry or malnourished is a cornerstone of our public education system. School meal funding comes from the federal government, and it is imperative these dollars are being spent to feed our children the nutritious meals they need to learn and grow.

Based on conversations my office has had with the superintendent of PPSD, I am hopeful the district will rectify the situation. On September 30, PPSD announced all food service department workers would be re-trained on meal preparation, complete meal trays representing each food group would be provided, a full assessment of PPSD’s food services provider would be conducted, and oversight of meal preparation for quality control would be instituted.^[4]

The guidance, technical assistance, and oversight that USDA and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA) have provided to PPSD is critical to ensuring that corrective action is taken and deficient meals are never again served to Paterson students. I ask that your office stay in touch with NJDA and PPSD to make certain that these necessary steps are effectuated to bring Paterson school meals up to federal standards. Please keep my office updated regarding any developments. We must be certain federal dollars supporting free school breakfast and lunch are put to proper use, and the unacceptable meals we’ve seen in Paterson of late do not reappear.

Again, thank you to you and your staff for your continued attention to protecting our children.

Sincerely,

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[1] https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/paterson-press/2021/09/21/paterson-school-lunch-photos-spur-calls-changes/5802286001/

[2] https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/paterson-press/2021/10/01/more-paterson-nj-school-lunch-photos-surface/5934115001/

[3] 7 CFR Parts 210 and 220

[4] https://www.tapinto.net/towns/paterson/sections/education/articles/superintendent-eileen-shafer-offers-plan-to-make-paterson-school-lunches-nutritious-and-appetizing