School Lunch Hero Day celebrates nutrition teams across SPS

 

School Lunch Hero Day celebrates the school nutrition professionals that prepare healthy meals for students while adhering to strict nutrition standards, navigating student food allergies and offering service with a smile.

“You know what we do with capes, right? We turn them around and use them as aprons,” said a student nutrition employee, also known as a school lunch hero, at Twain Elementary School.

Springfield Public Schools’ nutrition team prepares more than one million meals each year. These cafeteria heroes make sure that students have the fuel they need to not only make it through the school day, but excel in their education. 

Superintendent Dr. Grenita Lathan, Director of Student Nutrition Kim Keller and a team of SPS administrators visited several schools on Friday, May 1, 2026 to celebrate School Lunch Hero Day. With pom poms waving and balloons flying, the celebratory team took the time to thank each school lunch hero.

At Sequiota, students accompanied the team, giving flowers and words of appreciation to their nutrition team. The Twain nutrition team was given capes with their names on them and signed by students from the school.