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Glenview Fifth Graders Call For Better Quality, More Diverse Food OptionsFree Access

Hoffman Student Activists Meet With State Legislators

Fifth graders from Hoffman School (from left) Zayna Hofeez, Ravi Gill, Anna Ortiz, Vivian Blanchard, and Maya Nisilawski, members of the Hoffman Student Activist group, gather outside Monday, May 16, at the Glenview School Dist. 34 school board meeting after each spoke one at a time during the meeting’s public comment on the quality and lack of options for food served in Hoffman’s cafeteria. (Tom Robb/Journal photo)

Hoffman School fifth-grader, Anna Ortiz, 11, came before the Glenview School Dist. 34 Board of Education in October raising concerns about school lunch options. At Monday’s school board meeting she was back, still concerned with food quality and choices — and she brought friends.

Ortiz was joined by four other Hoffman fifth-graders, all 11 years old, who were part of the newly formed Hoffman Student Activist Group — Zayna Hafeez, Ravi Gill, Vivian Blanchard, and Maya Nisilawski. The students said their group has grown to 20 members, who said they surveyed 100 Hoffman students on school food quality. Each of the five students spoke during the public comment section of Monday’s meeting telling school board members, food can sometimes be soggy, smelly, and moldy, and called on board members to make halal and kosher meal options available. Students also called for more ethnic diversity in food offerings.

They said the survey concluded students were not fans of the current culinary offerings.

Eric Miller, Dist. 34 assistant superintendent for business services, disputed the students’ characterizations of meals.

“I can almost guarantee you there is no mold” in student food, Miller told the Journal. “Foodservice is highly regulated. I find a lot of what they said difficult to believe.”

Cathy Kedjidjian, Dist. 34 director of communications and strategic planning, said, “We are listening” to student concerns. She said the district is bringing on a new director of nutrition and foodservice who would have a one-year overlap with the current director of foodservice before she retires next year.

Miller said before Monday’s meeting, he had not heard one request for kosher meals, although he has heard calls by a few for halal meals. “We would need to evaluate demand,” he said.

The school board meeting was not the student activists’ only stop. Students said they spoke with State Sen. Laura Fine (D-9th) and State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-17th) at a recent legislative town hall the two legislators held at the Glenview Public Library.

“I’m so impressed by these young activists who are working to ensure they have healthy choices in our schools,” Fine said. “They are learning about the importance of nutrition, which will help them for a lifetime.”

Speaking with the Journal outside the school board meeting, Gill recalled a State House bill number off the top of his head, which would allow school districts to hire food service vendors who do not offer the lowest responsible bid, as is currently the law.

“This bill will give school districts the flexibility to promote the health and well-being of students,” Fine told the Journal, discussing House Bill 4813.

The legislation would allow school districts to give preference to vendors, “that procure food that promotes the health and well-being of students… that give a preference to state or regional suppliers that source local food products… utilize producers that adopt hormone and pest practices recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture,” and that, “give a preference to food suppliers that value animal welfare.”

The legislation passed both houses of the Illinois General Assembly and was sent to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk to be signed into law on May 6. Fine said the legislation passed the Illinois Senate by a unanimous vote.

Students said some from their organization’s ranks would go on to middle school next year, with some at Springman while others would go to Attea. Ortiz said a leadership succession plan is in place to form new activist groups at the two middle schools.

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