Part of the package of "public school is a free babysitting service and a community uplifting experience" meant that the lunches not only had to be available to everyone, but had to be filled with so much nutrition that it could cover for kids who had 0 other food sources. Which meant a lot of "freshly" cooked food and a fullish team of employees doing it daily, even if half of it was immediately thrown away.
There are a laundry list of ways that failed horribly and were filled with nonsensical decisions, but that was the "intent" so we had decent food at certain points of history.
I am an Aussie, but I did go to school for a while in Arizona. The hot lunches were always a highlight of my day.
They did serve pizza like this once a week, and it was pretty good.
Not ... actual pizza. I was taught to make pizza in the Sicilian style by an Italian who was a (locally) famous pizza chef. This is not that. It isn't even New York style pizza.
As a non-burger, the concept of school feeding you a warm lunch as a kid is a totally foreign concept.
There was paid Pizza Day from a local joint on Fridays sometimes though.
I recall being annoyed that they always distributed the slices alphabetically meaning the latter half of the alphabet got the small & cold leftovers.
funny enough, it was part of a broader effort to make school food "healthier," lol.
try it if you're curious. it's pretty good. Not the greatest in the world, but definitely worth a baking sheet's worth (about nine pieces).
Part of the package of "public school is a free babysitting service and a community uplifting experience" meant that the lunches not only had to be available to everyone, but had to be filled with so much nutrition that it could cover for kids who had 0 other food sources. Which meant a lot of "freshly" cooked food and a fullish team of employees doing it daily, even if half of it was immediately thrown away.
There are a laundry list of ways that failed horribly and were filled with nonsensical decisions, but that was the "intent" so we had decent food at certain points of history.
I am an Aussie, but I did go to school for a while in Arizona. The hot lunches were always a highlight of my day.
They did serve pizza like this once a week, and it was pretty good.
Not ... actual pizza. I was taught to make pizza in the Sicilian style by an Italian who was a (locally) famous pizza chef. This is not that. It isn't even New York style pizza.
But it is pretty good for what it is.