Pocono News Section

School Cafeterias Get Failing Grade

School Cafeterias Get Failing Grade - Friday, February 20, 2009 at 12:50PM EST

Reported by: Kyla Campbell
Friday, Feb 20, 2009 @ 12:50pm EST

WRIGHT TOWNSHIP, LUZERNE COUNTY -- Several area school cafeterias received a failing grade from the state when it comes to food safety. While problems were fixed at Crestwood High school, students and parents tell us they're upset they were never told about them in the first place.

"I didn't know about it at all, and I didn't hear about it at school," said Crestwood freshman Hannah Lee, who added she considers the cafeteria clean and safe.

The Crestwood High School cafeteria was found to be "out of compliance" earlier this month, but fixed four critical violations this week. Crestwood's main problem is a common health safety issue elsewhere -- cold food needs to be stored below 40 degrees, and hot food needs to be stored above 140 degrees, according to USDA standards. At Crestwood, chicken and deli meats were held between 58 and 66 degrees Fahrenheit.

Three other school cafeterias in our 19-county region are out of compliance according the State Department of Agriculture. They include Jim Thorpe Junior-Senior High School in Carbon County, St. Clare-St. Paul in Scranton, and Perry-West Perry Elementary School in Snyder County.

The mother of a St. Clare-St. Paul student called us after our initial reports and told us she was shocked. A Crestwood grandmother echoed her concerns. Both told us the schools didn't notify parents.

"Yes, I am concerned that if all that is going on, the cafeteria should be closed until the problems are corrected," said Pauline, a Crestwood grandparent. "They could get any type of food poisoning, and it is a major health concern."

Schools often have four weeks to fix any compliance issues before the state re-evaluates their cafeterias. If you'd like to check on your local school, copy and past the following link into your web browser:

http://www. agriculture. state. pa. us/agriculture/cwp/view. asp?a=3&q=137994