District looks to vending machines to boost breakfast

A New York school district has installed vending machines at its middle and high schools to increase breakfast participation, the Observer-Dispatch reports.   

After shutting down the middle and high school breakfast programs due to low participation, the Holland Patent Central School District in Holland Patent, N.Y., hopes the vending machines will encourage more students to eat a morning meal.

The machines offer up to eight bagged breakfast options, such as whole-grain muffins and donuts as well as yogurt with granola, which are bagged ahead of time by foodservice staff. The machine doesn’t take cash but charges the items to students’ lunch accounts while applying discounts for students who qualify for free or reduced meals.

Although the machines shut down during lunch, they are available after school until 10 p.m. so students can grab an after-school snack. The district is not reimbursed for free or reduced-price after-school meals.

Read the full story via uticaod.com.