York School District One has been awarded $5,000 by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture for its purchases of fruits, vegetables, nuts, honey and grains grown in South Carolina during the first season of the Certified SC Cafeteria program.
The district’s food service department was one of 15 school food authorities statewide recognized for local buying, and the only district in York or Lancaster counties on the list. The award must be spent on school nutrition, either to buy more local food or to purchase equipment that helps cafeterias prepare and serve it.
How the Awards Were Decided
The department selected the 15 districts based on purchasing data, according to a news release issued Nov. 3. The top five districts received $10,000 each. Those were Greenville County Schools, Horry County Schools, Greenwood School District 50, Beaufort County School District and Clarendon County Schools.
York School District One was among 10 districts that received $5,000. The others in that group were Charleston County, Spartanburg School District 4, Florence 1, Saluda County, Williamsburg County, Anderson School District 3, Pickens County, Sumter School District and Union County.
The awards were announced at the annual meeting of the School Nutrition Association of South Carolina.
“I’d like to thank all 67 school districts participating in the Certified SC Cafeteria program for their commitment to buying local and supporting South Carolina agriculture,” Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers said. “I’m proud to honor these 15 districts for their hard work.”
A New Statewide Program
The South Carolina General Assembly created Certified SC Cafeteria with $1 million in annual funding, and the program launched in January. Sixty seven districts and schools took part in the first season, representing 874 cafeterias that serve 538,066 students from kindergarten through 12th grade.
The state says the program is meant to support South Carolina farmers, put more fresh food on students’ plates and give children a chance to learn about nutrition and agriculture.
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
