Oxford Schools Earn Nutrition Honor

OXFORD, Miss. (Press Release) — The Oxford School District Child Nutrition Department recently earned the national distinction as a HealthierUS School Challenge Bronze Award recipient for its commitment to providing a healthier school environment for Oxford school students.

As part of the award recognition, the child nutrition program will receive a monetary incentive award: $2,500 in federal funds from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and $7,500 from the state level award.

“This prestigious award is a direct result of the fruits of our labor,” said Oxford School District Child Nutrition Director Richmond Smith. “We know firsthand that a student’s school nutrition program is an essential part of his or her education.”

As of January 2015, HealthierUS School Challenge certified 6,927 schools nationwide with the Oxford School District claiming five of the certified schools. The voluntary certification initiative recognizes schools that have reached the goal of creating healthier school environments through promotion and physical activity.

To meet the this goal, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service identifies schools that have made changes to: improve the quality of food served; provide students with nutrition education; and, provide students with physical education and opportunities for physical activity.

Thanks to new child nutrition measures and the Good Food for Oxford Schools program, Oxford school menus are healthier with 75 percent of school menu items cooked-from-scratch featuring local, fresh products. Also, school gardens are popping up on campuses, and fryers are now extinct items in school cafeteria kitchens.

“Today’s school cafeterias provide much more variety and nutrition than lunch rooms of old,” said Smith. “With school nutrition programs, if students don’t like what they see, they won’t eat it. However, don’t think for a minute that we have sacrificed nutrition for taste.”

The HealthierUS School Challenge Bronze Award was awarded to the Oxford School District based on school district information available for the 2013-2014 school year.