Bolingbrook Schools To Hold Yard Sale For Healthy Snacks
BOLINGBROOK, Ill. (CBS) -- Two Bolingbrook elementary schools are having a yard sale to buy healthy snacks for the school year.
As WBBM Newsradio 780's Nancy Harty reports, someone forgot to file the paperwork, so B.J. Ward and Tibbott elementary schools will not be part of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture this year. Both schools participated last school year, and the year before.
LISTEN: Newsradio 780's Nancy Harty reports
Podcast
The program supplied a $3.3 million grant 188 Illinois schools last school year, to provide students with veggies and fruit four times a week. Each individual school got $30,000 annually.
At B.J. Ward, students could be seen munching on a carrot during class while teachers taught.
Older students were given snacks during the morning because they had a later lunch. The younger students received a snack in the afternoon because they had an early lunch.
At B.J. Ward, test scores have increased over the past year by 5.9 percent in reading and 3.5 percent in math on the state test. Currently 60 percent of students meet or exceed standards in reading and 86.4 percent in math.
For next school year, the grant was increased to $4.8 million. But B.J. Ward and Tibbott, both part of the Valley View School District, cannot participate because of the late paperwork. So they are instead raising funds for the purpose via a yaerd sale.
Also, B.J. Ward principal Ted Warpinski is asking for cash donations to buy granola and fruit bars because they won't have the grant to pay food service staff to prepare the fresh fruit and veggie snacks.
The yard sale will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 29 and 30 at B.J. Ward Elementary, 200 Recreation Drive in Bolingbrook.
To donate or volunteer, contact Warpinski at (630) 972-9200. All funds collected will be used to fund the program.
The
