Funding reductions cut into Teton County’s fresh fruit program

The Teton County School District #1 in Jackson learned this week it will receive grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support a fresh fruit in schools program, but it has been dramatically reduced. Last year, the district received USDA funding to run the program at Alta Elementary, Wilson Elementary, Colter Elementary, and Jackson Elementary Schools. In April, the district was notified it would no longer receive funding for Alta and Wilson schools based on participation in the Free and Reduced Lunch program. This week, the district learned that due to an error in calculations, funding was further reduced. As a result, Colter Elementary will be the only school that will receive funding for the program this year. And, the district said there would only be enough funding to support the program from October through June. Food Services Director, Wes Clarke stated, “This is a great program that allows all students to receive fresh fruits and vegetables during the long school day. We see many times that students are very hungry between morning and lunch or lunch and the end of the school day. They just need a small pick me up to be the best learners they can be. These snacks are distributed in the classroom and teachers are able to use these fresh fruits and vegetables not only as nutritional snacks but also as an educational tool.” The district said it would continue to look for other grant opportunities and private donations to keep the program going.