Cold Weather Affecting Coachella Valley School Cafeteria Menus

Cafeteria workers at Rio Vista Elementary School want to serve students lettuce and other healthy greens.

But, they can’t.

“The older kids, especially, ask about the chicken salads that we had because a lot of the girls are weight conscious,” said cook manager Pam Smith. “Even at this age, believe it or not, they like their salads.”

So, what’s the problem?

A recorded call sent to all parents in the Palm Springs Unified School District explained it: “Due to the severe weather issues and cold temperatures, the lettuce crops have extreme shortages. This means that the availability of lettuce dramatically decreased.”

The frigid temperatures also has forced produce prices to skyrocket.

“Usually, a case of lettuce costs us $15-$20. It’s over $40 a case right now, and we just can’t get it,” said food services director Wanda Grant.

The district began serving canned vegetables and canned fruit as substitutes. It’s a temporary situation for the district trying to teach students how to eat healthy.

But, the district found creative ways to replenish the food and find higher-quality food. The district reached out to local farmers.

“We’ve located several farmers who are willing to put in row crops just for us,” said Grant. “We have one farmer who’s planting snow peas for us.”

Schools hope lettuce will be back on the menu in April.