The Columbia County school board recently announced plans to upgrade kitchen supplies in schools district-wide with a budget of almost $800,000.
Norvell, Citisco and Culinary Depot are the contractors responsible for providing new refrigerators, meat slicers, dishwasher conveyors, heated cabinets and many other supplies.
According to a press release by the Columbia County school board, this is the first of various future improvements being made to outdated kitchen equipment which was highlighted as a need after a district assessment of county kitchens.
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“I think [everyone] is really excited about it, and it’s long overdue with the equipment improvement,” said Associate Superintendent Penny Jackson.
For providing free meals to students during the pandemic, the school board has received reimbursement and an excess of about $8 million allowing the district to utilize these funds to modernize kitchen appliances and hardware.
A total of 17 schools will receive a variety of equipment, and some will arrive for installation before the upcoming school year begins.
However, due to a heavy demand in supply and delays on shipment, most necessary supplies will be installed on a first-need basis such as Lakeside and Greenbrier High, said Jackson.
In the same press release, Dana Smith, Director of School Nutrition, said the nutrition staff is currently establishing a spending plan for future kitchen upgrades and other purchases while awaiting the delivery of supplies.
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It is the first time kitchens will be updated district-wide, which will allow affordable meals for students across the board, said Jackson.
The School Board of Education is currently creating a plan to help continually update kitchens every so often and cycle through supplies as needed.
“Most of the equipment should last around 5 to 10 years, while industrial equipment should last anywhere from 15 to 20 years,” said Jackson.
As many of the surrounding high schools were built in the 1970s and 1980s, the buildings are receiving repairs and upgrades, both cosmetically and structurally, to ensure a safe and well-maintained learning environment for students — which includes the cafeteria.
“School nutrition is a huge part of many of our students’ day,” said Jackson. “It’s going to make a world of difference.”
Liz Wright is a correspondent for The Augusta Press.
