GREENWOOD, S.C. — School lunch trays in Greenwood School District 50 have been carrying more food from South Carolina farms, and the state has rewarded the district for it with a $10,000 prize.
The South Carolina Department of Agriculture placed Greenwood School District 50 Child Nutrition among the five school food authorities that earned $10,000 each for the first season of its Certified SC Cafeteria program. Ten more districts received $5,000 apiece. Winners were chosen from purchasing records that showed which districts spent the most on food raised in the state, from produce to nuts, honey and grains.
The prize money stays in the lunchroom. Districts have to spend it on school nutrition, either by buying still more local food or by purchasing equipment that helps kitchens prepare and serve it. Awards were handed out when the School Nutrition Association of South Carolina held its yearly meeting.
The program began in January with $1 million a year from the General Assembly. The department coordinates it and repays districts directly for the South Carolina-grown fruits and vegetables they buy. Its first season drew 67 districts and schools with 874 cafeterias that serve 538,066 students from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Greenwood joined a top tier that also included Greenville County, Horry County, Clarendon County and the Beaufort County district food service. The program’s second season starts next month and lasts until December 2027.
Shane Goodwin is superintendent of Greenwood School District 50, whose schools include Greenwood High School and Emerald High School. Agriculture is among the secondary industries in the Greenwood economy.
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