Valley View School District's Food Service Department

The Food Service Department of the Valley View School District is a nonprofit $6 million dollar a year business.  Over 175 part time food service professionals take pride in preparing breakfast and lunch for about 18,000 students daily.  We prepare food on site in all eighteen of our buildings.

The food service program is operated under the federally funded National School Lunch Act and Child Nutrition Act.  The federal laws regulating the food service programs are administered by the United States Department of Agriculture through the Illinois Department of Education.  The USDA is an equal opportunity employer and provider.

Nutrition Integrity

• Nutritional values of meals are evaluated over a period of a week rather than judged on a single meal or food item.
• Student meals contain adequate calories and a variety of foods to support growth, development, and a healthy weight.

• Purchasing practices ensure the use of high quality ingredients and prepared items to maximize student acceptance. Food Service professionals continue to work with industry to develop these foods.
• Foods are prepared in ways that ensure a balance between optimal nutrition quality and student acceptance.
• Foods offered to students in addition to the school breakfast and lunch will be of optimal nutrition quality.
• The school cafeteria serves as an educational venue to promote good nutrition practices.

We continually strive to improve the nutritional integrity of our lunch program.

• In our middle and high schools all snack chips portions are 1 oz or less.  Middle schools student choices are limited to baked snack chips.
• We have reduced the size of the cookies offered for a la carte sale from 1.6 oz to 1 oz in our elementary and middle schools.
• Only milk, water, and 100% juice are available to elementary students.  Middle school students are limited to 16 oz or smaller beverages.
• Fresh fruits and vegetables are available daily throughout the District.
• Whole grain breads and nuts are being offered.
• There are no deep fat fryers in our elementary and middle schools.

The middle school and high school menu has been significantly revised in recent years. Instead of just two reimbursable entrée offerings and many a al carte entrée offerings, students can now choose from as many as 10 different entrees and sides to make up their school lunch. A grilled chicken sandwich a la carte will cost $2.00.  The same grilled chicken sandwich with sides of baked potato nuggets, fresh fruit, green vegetable, and milk costs $2.00.  We are hopeful that this new format will encourage students to take the fruits, vegetables, and milk that come with the lunch.