School districts form partnership to provide hot meals to students amid staffing shortage

Bozeman Public Schools in Montana has partnered with nearby Monforton School District to provide hot lunches to students of the latter district, The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports.

Monforton has been short staffed and has only been able to provide cold sandwiches to students during the first few weeks of the new school year. The new partnership will allow Monforton students to have a hot lunch option.

As part of the agreement, Bozeman will deliver the lunches each week, which will arrive cooled. Monforton staff will heat up the meals before serving them to students. Monforton will continue to provide its own milk and produce during lunch as well as grab-and-go breakfast.

Two-thirds of respondents to a recent K-12 survey by FoodService Director shared that they are experiencing a staffing shortage. Some schools are turning to local volunteers to help fill in staffing gaps and many also say they’re implementing cross-training to help keep their programs running.