School districts serving Philadelphia, Baltimore and Las Vegas joined the Urban School Food Alliance, which now serves 3.6 million students in 10 of the largest U.S. districts with a combined $735 million a year in purchases of food and supplies. The alliance launched a procurement initiative in 2014 for antibiotic-free chicken, and said this year that its members would not relax school lunch standards despite a USDA offer of flexibility on salt and whole grains.
The Clark County School District in Las Vegas is the fifth-largest in the nation, with 326,000 students, nearly three-fourth of all the schoolchildren in Nevada. The School District of Philadelphia is the 13th-largest, with 134,000 students. And Baltimore City Public Schools, with 82,000 students, ranks 36th in enrollment. The other members of the alliance are New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, Orlando (Orange County, Fla.) and Fort Lauderdale (Broward County, Fla.).
David Wines, food service director for Clark County, said the district “believes in providing high-quality meals that are nutritious and delicious.” The food director for Baltimore schools, Elizabeth Marchetta, said the alliance ” will allow us to improve the quality of products we offer through the influence, strength and reach of our collective purchasing.” Besides antibiotic-free chicken, the alliance purchases compostable plates. The alliance says its goal is for students to “receive healthy, delicious meals through socially responsible practices.”