Students have been buying fewer meals in schools recently, so Montgomery County Public Schools has formed a partnership with Domino’s Pizza and its “smart slice” program in an effort to revive student participation.
Students line up at Blacksburg High School to try the new Domino’s smart slices being offered at lunch. The school system has partnered with the pizza chain to increase student participation in the lunch program.
MCPS’s nutritional program sustains itself from the meals it sells and the reimbursement it receives from the federal free and reduced lunch program.
While federal funding has hovered around $2.3 million the last three years, revenue from breakfasts and lunches sold has decreased nearly $500,000 during that span.
MCPS spokesperson Brenda Drake said that the partnership with Domino’s is only the first of many initiatives aimed to increase participation.
“We are trying to figure out ways to get kids buying lunches in school again,” she said. “The pizza is the same price as what we’ve been buying and it falls within the USDA nutritional guidelines, so we see it as a win-win.”
The pizza is made with a whole-wheat crust, reduced-sodium sauce, low-fat cheese and students can either purchase cheese or turkey-pepperoni slices.
While the program is only in its infancy, it has already had early success at Blacksburg High School, the first school in the district to pilot the program.
It currently serves the pizza on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The 1200-student high school typically serves 250 meals a day, one of the lowest participation levels (20 percent) in the county.
On the second day of the program, the school sold 544 pieces of pizza, a huge success according to Assistant Superintendent of Operations Tommy Kranz.
He came up with the idea from his time working in Richmond schools, which used similar programs to increase participation.
Christiansburg High School began the program Monday and will have the pizza on Wednesdays as well.
Auburn and Eastern Montgomery will have the pizza every Friday beginning Oct. 19.
Drake said that it will eventually be available in middle and elementary schools on a rotating schedule (roughly three times a month). The ultimate goal for the high schools is to offer it everyday.
She noted that other entrees will still be available and that kids can also purchase slices a la carte for $2, while lunches at the middle and high schools cost $2.85; $2.75 at the elementary schools.
Drake said that other ideas being entertained include letting the culinary programs at the high schools create recipes that meet the USDA guidelines as well as adding smoothies as an option, and even possibly forming a partnership with Virginia Tech Dining Services.
For more information on the smart slice program, visit www.biz.dominos.com/web/public/school-lunch.
