Union City School District Awarded $9,000 Grant for Cafeteria Equipment

The Union City Area School District has been awarded a $9,000 equipment grant that will allow the district to replace aging kitchen equipment and continue expanding its scratch-made meal program.

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The grant, awarded by the School Nutrition Foundation through its 2026 Equipment Grant program, will provide the district with a new Alto-Shaam hot holding cabinet for the elementary school cafeteria. The equipment is designed to safely keep prepared foods at serving temperature while improving efficiency in the kitchen.

Food Service Director Krista Byler said the district’s kitchen staff has spent the past two years training and transitioning to preparing more meals from scratch. The new cabinet will help support those efforts by freeing up workspace and allowing staff to better manage freshly prepared breakfast and lunch items.

The district’s elementary school has been undergoing phased renovations, but updates to the kitchen had been postponed because of budget limitations. The new grant-funded equipment will replace a decades-old holding cabinet that has required frequent maintenance and repairs, particularly after power outages.

Union City Area School District participates in the federal Community Eligibility Provision, allowing all students to receive breakfast and lunch at no charge. School officials said the upgraded equipment will help improve meal service while supporting the district’s goal of providing nutritious, freshly prepared menu options.

According to the School Nutrition Foundation, nearly all school meal program directors responding to a recent national survey reported a need for additional kitchen equipment and infrastructure to expand scratch cooking and reduce reliance on highly processed foods.

The new holding cabinet is expected to be delivered before the start of the 2026-27 school year.

The School Nutrition Foundation, the charitable arm of the School Nutrition Association, awarded equipment grants to school districts across the country to help address staffing, operational and budget challenges while improving school meal programs.