Central Coast school districts suffer from national supply chain crisis

CENTRAL COAST, Calif. (KION) The Pajaro Valley School District told parents that the U.S. supply chain crisis is affecting food programs for students.

The California Department of Education acknowledged that this problem is affecting several schools in the state.

The supply crisis has also caused suppliers to be unable to supply some foods listed on the menu that were previously included in the contracts, because of the increase in prices.

For mothers like Ana Vega, they rely heavily on the breakfast and lunches that PVUSD schools provide for their children on a daily basis. The nationwide supply chain issue has left school districts having to deal with the shortages, having to switch menu items on short notice.

"Well, as mothers, we rely a lot on the school breakfast… and right now we’re not in the best place economically,” said Vega.

Carlos Olivarez is in charge of buying food supplies for the Pajaro Valley Unified School District and says they've been facing supply problems for at least six months now and order items 4 to 6 weeks ahead.

"Well, we've been shorted burritos. We've been shorted chicken nuggets. We've been shorted the tater tots. I mean, practically everything on the on the menu at one point has been shorted. So that's where we have to make substitutes,” said Olivarez.

According, some supplies, such as pork, aren't being restocked at the district due to an increase in prices. Olivarez says these shortages are happening for a number of reasons like COVID-19 and labor shortages but Olivarez says not to worry.

The district is asking parents to be patient, as the menu will be changing frequently.

PVUSD makes more than 5,000 meals for breakfast and 10,000 meals everyday.