Senator Klein Hails Passage of School Cafeteria Transparency Bill in State Legislature

Senator Klein Hails Passage of School Cafeteria Transparency Bill in State Legislature

Coming on the heels of an alarming report released last year on the hidden dangers in New York City school cafeterias, Senator Jeff Klein announced the passage of his legislation in the State Senate and Assembly recently that will create a new, online transparency system for parents that will allow them to search cafeteria health code inspections.

In his report, School Lunch Flunks: An Investigation into the Dirtiest New York City Public School Cafeterias, Senator Klein revealed the unsanitary conditions of school cafeterias, that shocked parents around the city. Inspection data from schools was requested via the Freedom of Information Act because it was not posted online for public consumption and parents had no way of knowing the state of cleanliness of where their children eat each day. Among the violations reported, conditions that can lead to vermin infestations and evidence of mice were two of the five most common violations issued against school cafeterias. In The Bronx alone, 46 schools were hit with violations that related to mice droppings and the like.

Joined by New York City Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña at a recent event this month, Senator Klein unveiled the groundbreaking system that will give parents the peace of the mind they deserve while releasing a second report detailing the need for this type of transparency that offers information quickly and efficiently. Health violation information will be posted online at www.schoolfoodnyc.org by the start of the new school year along with steps taken to remedy any violations. Parents will have the ability to search for the information by school on the comprehensive database while information will also be sent home with children.

Having passed both houses of the New York State legislature, Senator Klein’s bill now heads to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s desk to be signed into law.