Superintendent: We Must Win Back Parents' Confidence in School Food

Following a heavily publicized school food fiasco, Superintendent Bill Olsen on Monday said schools officials must win back parents' confidence.

The town's Board of Health last month ordered thousands of dollars worth of food and serving items destroyed after they were found to be stored in a rodent-infested building. An investigation . Multiple television, print, and online news outlets reported on the situation.

Olsen told the School Committee on Monday steps have already been taken to address the matter. Food will no longer be stored in the building in question on Town Farm Road, and a card swipe system is being explored to beef up the tracking and security of food.

"We want move forward positively," Olsen said. "We need to rebuild the confidence of parents."

Olsen said overall, the school food program is a "quality" one. A fraction of the food served to students was housed in "the barn," as the dilapidated, rodent-infested building has been called. It stored excess food that couldn't fit into individual schools' storage areas.

Olsen added that the episode was unfortunate.

"It was a black eye on the school system which I will never forget ... I lost more than a few nights of sleep over this."

Previous coverage:

• Photos: School Food Stored in Rodent-Infested Facility
• VIDEO: Official Explains Decision to Discard School Food
• Plan in Place for Problem Food, Serving Materials, Says Superintendent
• State: Appropriate Action Taken After School Food Mess