Lauded for its effort to provide locally grown food and made-from-scratch meals, the Montgomery County public school system ranked among the top 10 school districts in the state for providing the best, healthiest meals to students in a report released Tuesday.
Montgomery schools increased its overall grade from a C-plus to a B, climbing two spots in the state rankings, assigned by Health School Food Maryland, a state advocacy organization pushing for healthy and safe food for students.
Montgomery has the seventh best food choices for students out of the state’s 24 school districts, according to the survey that has been conducted for three years.
Howard County received top marks for their meals and the Baltimore City school system was the only district to receive a perfect score for providing plant-based meal options, tying for third place.
The grades are based on a rubric of 13 items, with scores ranging from zero to four in categories such as access to potable water, farm-to-school programs, salad bars and fruit and variety and repetition of meals.
Grades were determined by examining school districts’ websites, policies and menus and gathering data from the USDA Farm to School Census.
Montgomery schools scored lowest in vending machines and marketing categories, meaning food in its vending machines doesn’t meet nutrition standards and its marketing policies don’t restrict food companies from advertising for healthy foods in their schools, according to Health School Food Maryland documents.
The Montgomery school system fared well in the availability of farm-to-school programs with at least 14% of its food locally-sourced.
Additionally, 45% of entrees made in elementary school cafeterias and 71% in secondary schools are made from scratch each month, granting the school system the maximum rank in one category.
Montgomery schools also ranked well for an existing policy prohibiting caffeinated beverages and artificial flavors from schools and for offering a warm, plant-based or vegan entrees at its schools at least eight days per month.
Caitlynn Peetz can be reached at caitlynn.peetz@moco360.media
