• Nationwide Milk Carton Shortage and what it means for our School Cafeterias

    We want to make you aware of an issue with the supply of milk cartons that may temporarily affect the flavors of milk that we offer in the school breakfast and lunch programs. Our dairy has informed us that there is a supply chain shortage of the actual carton that is used to hold ½ pints of milk. They are working diligently on getting the cartons from alternate suppliers and are prioritizing the availability of white and chocolate milk in the schools. Most recently, they are substituting skim milk for the 1% white milk that our students are used to. The chocolate milk is being provided without interruption at this point.  As a district, we are researching alternate ways to provide milk in our programs should the cartons not be available for a period of time. Using shelf stable milk or pouring milk into cups at mealtimes are options that we may have to implement so that we can continue to provide nutritious milk to students and keep in compliance with federal guidelines.  Thank you in advance for your patience as we work together to get through this issue. For further information, click on the link to see the USDA statement https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/clarification-allowable-flexibilities-programs-experiencing-milk-shortage.  If you have a question about the milk shortage or any other food service-related issue, please feel free to reach out to your school cafeteria.