Bray gets lunch experience at Cloverdale

Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Banner Graphic/Jared Jernagan Enjoying a taco lunch in the Cloverdale Elementary/Middle School cafeteria Monday afternoon, State Sen. Rod Bray (second from left) shares a table with fourth-graders Trevor Sanders and Jasmine Neiner. The senator was on hand for a tour of the lunch facilities and discuss issues surrounding school lunches with Cloverdale Food Service Director Billy Boyette (foreground).

CLOVERDALE — A chance encounter at the Putnam County Fair led to Indiana Sen. Rod Bray eating lunch with some Cloverdale Elementary School students on Tuesday.

In July, Sen. Bray (R-Martinsville) was visiting some of his District 37 constituents at the Putnam County Fair when he stopped for a meal at Cajun Billy’s Catering food stand.

Bray and proprietor Billy Boyette got to talking about issues in food service when Boyette mentioned that he is also the food service director for Cloverdale Community Schools.

“I told him, ‘If you ever have availability to come, we’ve had Congressman (Todd) Rokita come already. I’d also love to have you as well,’” Boyette said.

Bray took Boyette up on the offer Tuesday, visiting on taco day. The senator got the full lunch experience, going through the line and ordering his food from lunchroom worker Mandy Evans.

He and Boyette then shared a table with fourth-graders Jasmine Neiner and Trevor Sanders.

Boyette discussed a number of issues facing school food service with the senator. Among these was what Boyette and his staff are doing to improve the quality of the food as well as the number of students eating school lunches.

One challenge schools face is meeting federal nutrition guidelines while also making food the kids will actually eat.

Bray discussed his familiarity with such issues, saying that the elementary school his sons attend in Martinsville recently had a challenge between the grades to see which one could waste the least amount of food.

“It made them aware of how much food they are wasting,” Bray said.

While none of the committees on which Bray serves directly relate to education, he said the issue remains important to all legislators.

“We all need to be dealing with education. It’s the biggest thing we do in the state,” Bray said.

Following his lunch meeting with Boyette, Bray got a school tour from Director of Curriculum Cathy Ames and Cloverdale Middle School Principal Dawn Tucker.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: