'A Huge Opportunity:' Broken Arrow Public Schools Partners With Nonprofit To Donate Leftover Cafeteria Food

Broken Arrow Public Schools will now donate nonperishable leftover foods in their cafeteria to a group that helps people in need.

The Broken Arrow Board of Education approved the agreement between BAPS and Broken Arrow Neighbors at their meeting on Monday.

Broken Arrow Neighbors gives food to thousands of people in the city each year.

The district is allowed to do it because of a state law passed last year that allows leftover cafeteria food to be donated just like a restaurant can do.

Megan Quickle, the Executive Director of Broken Arrow Neighbors, says they are seeing more families than ever who need help getting food.

Quickle says getting food from BAPS will be a big help.

“This is food that students would either throw away or not eat anyway,” said Quickle. “If there's a leftover apple or carrot sticks. Anything that hasn't been eaten or touched will be able to be donated to Broken Arrow Neighbors and help our neighbors in need.”

Right now, kids can put the food they don’t want on a share table that other kids can get.

Going forward, whatever is left on the share table can be donated to Broken Arrow Neighbors.

“We've had great participation with this, however, at the end of the day, we still have minimal food waste on those tables that we have to discard,” said Emily McNally, the Director of Child Nutrition for Broken Arrow Public Schools.

Both McNally and Quickle are glad the law takes away the red tape and liability so now, food that used to be thrown away can now be used.

“A part of the misconception is that we can just give away food but we can't just do that because of the state and federal laws that are in place with our program,” said McNally. “So we have to be creative with this, and do a pilot program to see how that's really going to happen.”

“The community can hold food drives for us, but the school district was not able to give any of that leftover food or food that would go in the trash can otherwise,” said Quickle. “It's helping food waste drop for the public school district, and then helping our neighbors in need here in Broken Arrow.”

They’re excited to see how successful this program turns out to be and if other districts will follow suit.

“Broken Arrow Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in the entire state, so this is going to be a huge opportunity for our community,” said Quickle.

Both BA Neighbors and BAPS say they will have more details about the rollout of the program in the coming weeks.