The Public School System is switching gears in its hot lunch program with plans to open school cafeterias.
Last week, Majuro Middle School opened the first public school cafeteria in Majuro and with it four new hires were added to the school’s workforce.
Principal Alvin Saimon and school staff officially opened the cafeteria following a christening ceremony last Friday.
The cafeteria is located behind the Marshall Islands High School’s dormitory, across the newly renovated gymnasium. The cafeteria package came with huge water catchments with a separate freezer storage located at the MMS main building.
MIHS Principal Barbara Ned said plans are underway to build a school cafeteria for MIHS.
The availability of a school cafeteria would eliminate the “missing vendor” issue schools have experienced in the past where students go without food because several vendors could not provide lunch.
The idea to switch from contracted vendors to a school-controlled cafeteria has been a discussion in multiple Nitijela public hearings, where Parliament members repeatedly advised PSS officials switching to cafeterias would save the education ministry money and improve the quality of school lunches.