Dayton’s
Best
Schools
W
hen it comes to the best schools in the Dayton region the state’s report card is a great place to start for those interested in crunching the academic numbers. But there are other programs outside of academics that schools offer to help students succeed in life beyond high school. We hope you enjoy this look at a few of the special programs that local schools offer to see what makes them so valuable to students’ development and growth.
BY ERIN GARDNER & K ARINA BAFFA
GIVING BACK TROTWOOD-MADISON CITY SCHOOLS ADDRESSES HUNGER IN THE AREA
BY ERIN GARDNER
T
rotwood-Madison City Schools is proud to offer year-round nutrition options to the school-aged students of its community, says Jim Putnam, supervisor of nutrition services for Trotwood-Madison City Schools. During the school year all five Trotwood buildings—the Early Learning Center, Madison Park Elementary School, Westbrooke Village Elementary School, Trotwood-Madison Middle School and Trotwood-Madison High School—offer breakfast, lunch and after-school snacks
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DAYTON MAGAZINE . August/September 2018
at no cost to the families. During the summer months students may be without the provisions they had during the school year. Trotwood understands. In lieu of the community concern, it operates the Summer Food Service Program offered by USDA via the Ohio Department of Education. The program is relative to Trotwood’s size as a district. Annually, 22 sites are operated during the summer months starting shortly after school is out and ending the week before school starts, says Putnam. These sites include school buildings, parks, apartment complexes, the Trotwood Library, community tutoring centers and faith-based institutions. Participation can range from about 500-1,000 lunches served per day, depending on what may be going on at the sites. The sites function as open sites, meaning
Trotwood-Madison City Schools offers yearround nutrition options to school-age children. that they are open to anyone 18 and under. It is 100 percent operated by TrotwoodMadison employees from a range of departments as well as Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Youthworks student workers. The meals themselves are designed to be nutritious and appealing as possible with an emphasis on hot entrees, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables. n