FLORENCE -- Florence School District One has a way you can track exactly what your child is buying in the cafeteria.
Lunchtime is a busy time at Briggs Elementary School in Florence.
The school has to feed about 750 kids in less than three hours.
For lunch Thursday, students had whole meat chicken rings, chef salad, fruit and vegetables. Many of the kids get extra servings.
Bill Vaughan, the district's food services director, says everyday the district operates 20 cafeteria serving sites with approximately 5, 500 breakfasts, 12, 000 lunches and 4,000 after school snacks.
"We're constantly looking at our menus or what we offer and working with our distributors to to buy items that have less sugar, salt and fat. That's a big push by USDA. Any items that we offer on the plate they're able to buy extra items of any of those items," said Bill Vaughan.
As a Florence School District One parent, you can have access to that information online.
When a child buys something in the cafeteria they enter their student ID number. That allows parents to track what's purchased through this website.
Vaughan said, "They have the ability once again to see what their child is eating if they get other extra items they can see if they need to make any changes in what we offer at the different schools."
District officials started this program on Tuesday and so far they say they've received a great response from parents.
Tonya McGowan has two children in the 5K Kindergarten program at Greenwood Elementary School. She says the new technology benefits all parents.
"I think that's a great thing that we're able to go online and look at your child what they ate that day or what their decisions were," said Tonya McGowan, parent.
If a student pays a reduced or full price for school meals, the technology allows parents to put money into their accounts and keep track of their balances.
District officials say with the increase in child obesity rates, they're thrilled to have this new technology and hope parents will utilize it on a regular bases.
