Introduced fresh foods to cafeteria
Karen Pagano, who has been the food services director for the Beacon City School District since 2012, has been selected to receive the Public Health Partnership Award given annually by the Dutchess County Department of Health for her work in improving the school meals program.
Her initiatives have included bringing fresh produce into the cafeteria through partnerships with local farmers, a “grab-and-go” program to encourage students to eat a healthy breakfast, a “snack-and-go” option for elementary students, a “top-your-own” salad bar with lettuce from Common Ground Farm and homemade soups that contain more vegetables and less sodium.
Pagano will be presented with the award at the May 8 meeting of the Dutchess County Legislature in Poughkeepsie.
