After learning that the district wouldn’t receive an anticipated grant for a salad bar at the Argenziano School, Food Service Director Jeanne Irwin decided to buy one anyway. And then she bought another for the high school.

Both schools should unveil the salad bars during the second week of classes, said Irwin. Students in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grades at the Argenziano School, and all students in the high school, will be able to use them, she said.

The salad bars and their offerings will resemble the one at the Winter Hill Community School, which received its salad bar as a donation from the Lets's Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative. The district unsuccessfully sought support for two more salad bars from that initiative, which is tied into First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign to reduce childhood obesity. 

Just like at Winter Hill, the cafeteria staff at Argenziano and the high school will serve Greek, Caesar and chef’s salads, among other types.

Irwin was able to purchase the salad bars with money from the Food Service Department's budget, which is separate from the regular school budget, she said. School salad bars cost approximately $2,500, according to Whole Foods, which helped pay for the one at Winter Hill.

During the opening of the Winter Hill school's salad bar in April, Irwin said there was a “huge audience at the high school” for one.

Now, Irwin said the department hopes to buy more salad bars for the other schools.