Plymouth schools food services reports strong year, prepares for key changes in 2026-27

Amy Kraszyk, Director of Food Services for the Plymouth Community School Corporation, presented her annual update to the School Board Tuesday evening, highlighting a successful year while outlining important changes ahead for the coming school year.

The Food Services department serves seven schools in the corporation, plus St. Michael's Catholic School. Last school year, the department served nearly 530,000 meals, with an average lunch participation rate of 78% and a breakfast participation rate of 32% across all schools. At Plymouth High School, lunch participation stood at 54% and breakfast at nearly 9%.

On the financial side, the department operated at a 14.17% profit margin in the 2025-26 school year. Kraszyk projected that margin to decrease slightly to 11.25% in the coming year. She cited the successful introduction of elementary à la carte options as a notable achievement — a new revenue stream that also increased student choice.

All four of Plymouth's elementary schools participate in the Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Grant Program, which provides students with small servings of fresh produce twice a week — introducing younger children to fruits and vegetables they may never have tasted before. The goal is to spark curiosity and encourage families to try new foods at home.

"Fresh is best," Kraszyk said, noting the program covers only fresh items — not dried or canned. The grant has been renewed for the 2026-27 school year.

One significant shift on the horizon is the end of Plymouth's participation in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), a federal program that has allowed high-poverty schools to serve free breakfasts and lunches to all enrolled students without requiring household applications. Beginning with the 2026-27 school year, Plymouth schools will return to the traditional counting and claiming process for free and reduced-price meals. Families who believe they may qualify are encouraged to complete a household application when the school year begins.

Kraszyk highlighted several departmental accomplishments from the past year, including passing all health inspections without incident, overcoming fiscal challenges through creative operational flexibility, optimizing staffing and menu planning to improve efficiency, and maintaining healthy and varied meal options across all school locations.

The School Board was also asked to consider food bids for the upcoming school year as part of the annual procurement process.