Category Archives: Nutrition Services

Nutrition Services plans Grandparents’ Day lunch for Thursday 

After a late start to the school year, HISD’s Nutrition Services has rescheduled its annual Grandparents’ Day observance for Thursday, Sept. 21.

The observance, which is held in elementary schools throughout the district, is a special event that celebrates the important role of grandparents in the lives of our students and in our community. Elementary students are encouraged to ask their grandparents to join them for a special lunch.

This year’s menu will feature BBQ chicken or a chicken quesadilla, mashed potatoes, romaine salad, sweet potato cake and bottled water. Lunches for grandparents can be preordered in the school’s front office or purchased on the day of the event. The cost for adults is $4.

Each year, thousands of grandparents of HISD elementary students participate in the observance. Students often use the special time with their grandparents to introduce them to friends, teachers, and their school community.

Nutrition Services facility named after district’s first African-American food services director  

HISD’s Nutrition Services Support Facility located off Bennington Road in northeast Houston will now bear the name of the district’s first black food services director.

After a vote Sept. 14 by the HISD Board of Education, trustees unanimously agreed the facility will be called the Hexser T. Holliday Food Services Support Center

Holliday served the Houston Independent School District from 1958 until his departure in 1996. He began his career at HISD as a culinary arts teacher at Yates and Booker T. Washington high schools. Over the course of his tenure, Holliday advanced to become the district’s Assistant Superintendent of Food Services, the first black food services director in the district and one of the first in the nation.  Continue reading →

Trustees approve extended school day for 12 campuses, eliminate early dismissal days for all schools

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At its first regular Board meeting since Hurricane Harvey forced a delayed start to the school year, the Houston Independent School District Board of Education approved extended school days for 12 campuses to make up instructional time.

The Board also eliminated five early dismissal days scheduled throughout the school year for all campuses.

Download the revised 2017-2018 Academic Calendar

The Texas Education Agency approved waivers that exempt students from making up the first nine days of missed classes. However, students at 12 schools starting after Sept. 11 will have to make up lost time beyond those days.

“There is no perfect solution,” Superintendent Richard Carranza said. “And as we talked about over the course of this weather event, flexibility will be key. But we are also making sure the extra time is not just seat time.” Continue reading →

HISD to close community feeding sites launched in the wake of Hurricane Harvey

Feeding sites will close on Sunday evening after serving thousands of meals per day

The community feeding efforts launched by the Houston Independent School District in the wake of Hurricane Harvey will end on Sunday, Sept. 10, after serving between 8,000 to 10,000 free meals per day.

HISD’s Nutrition Services has been serving breakfast, lunch and dinner free of charge at nine sites since Saturday, Sept. 2. Meals have been available on a first-come, first-served basis to all community members. Additionally, volunteers from local churches, community centers and even apartment complexes delivered food to families that were unable to visit the locations due to transportation. Continue reading →

All nine HISD meal sites open for Houston community in wake of Harvey

The Houston Independent School District is supporting relief efforts in communities across Houston by providing meals to families and individuals affected by the recent floods.  HISD’s Nutrition Services began serving breakfast, lunch and dinner free of charge at sites in the Houston area. All nine sites are now open. The meals will be available on a first-come, first-served basis to all community members.

Breakfast is served from 8-9 a.m., lunch from 11 a.m.-noon, and dinner from 4-5 p.m.  Those times are subject to change.  Meals will be offered at the following locations: Continue reading →

HISD to open nine meal centers

The Houston Independent School District will be supporting relief efforts in communities across Houston by providing meals to families and individuals affected by the recent floods.  Starting on Saturday, Sept. 2, HISD’s Nutrition Services will be serving breakfast, lunch and dinner free of charge at nine sites in the Houston area.  The meals will be available on a first-come, first-served basis to all community members. Continue reading →

National School Lunch/School Breakfast Program applications available online now

Parents are urged to complete the forms now to avoid back-to-school rush

Although the start of school is weeks away, Houston Independent School District Nutrition Services is urging all parents and guardians to complete the student applications for free and reduced-price meals online as soon as possible to ensure their child’s school gets the proper state and federal funding.

The National School Lunch/School Breakfast Program applications and surveys are now available at https://mealapps.houstonisd.org. They can also be accessed by visiting the HISD Nutrition Services website and clicking on the “One Form Means So Much” button on the right side of the page.

Continue reading →

HISD nutrition services officer serves as keynote speaker at Healthy Food Fuels Hungry Minds conference   

Nutrition Services Officer Betti J. Wiggins served as a keynote speaker during the Healthy Food Fuels Hungry Minds conference at Harvard University last week.

The conference was organized by a partnership between Let’s Talk About Food, the Massachusetts Health Council, and Harvard University Dining Services.

Wiggins was invited to speak about her experience as the executive director of school nutrition at Detroit Public Schools, where she adopted and implemented key principles that allowed students to receive the healthiest food available. Her work included creating community gardens and implementing the first CEP (Community Eligibility Provision) program that allowed 100 percent of students in the district to eat lunch at no cost.   Continue reading →

Free summer meals offered at more than 250 HISD schools

Houston Independent School District will be kicking off its Summer Meal Program May 31 at more than 250 area schools. Children ages 1 to 18 can enjoy a free healthy breakfast and lunch from May 31, 2017 through Aug. 4, 2017.

Children do not need to be enrolled in summer school to participate in the program, and no paperwork, registration, or proof of income is required. Adults can also participate by purchasing breakfast for $2.25 and lunch for $3.50. Continue reading →

HISD names new officer of Nutrition Services

Betti Wiggins

The Houston Independent School District has selected Betti J. Wiggins as the district’s new officer of Nutrition Services.

Wiggins currently serves as the executive director of the office of school nutrition with the Detroit Public Schools Community District, where she is responsible for school-based meal operations in 141 schools for all USDA child nutrition programs. Under her leadership, she helped establish the Detroit School Garden Collaborative, which currently supports more than 80 school-based gardens and a two-acre school farm.

“We are excited to welcome Ms. Wiggins to Houston ISD to lead our school nutrition program,” said HISD Superintendent Richard Carranza. “She has tremendous experience in school nutrition and will help us improve our program for both students and staff as we invest in new equipment, training and menus.”  Continue reading →