PULASKI COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — Teachers, subs, bus drivers... We've talked about several, of the many, shortages school districts are dealing with right now.
Now, there's another pivotal faculty group to add to that list and it's the people in charge of your kids' food.
This shortage is a little different than the others though, because it's not just the labor shortages schools across Arkansas are experiencing within their cafeteria, it's also food shortages and delays.
It's 12:03 p.m. at Mills High School in Little Rock, which means one of the most important periods of the day is in full swing!
"We want students to be able to focus on their education and if they're hungry and worried about what they're going to eat, they can't do that," Tiffany Reed, District Manager for Chartwells K12 at Pulaski County Special School District, said.
While the line moves quickly, with plate after plate getting filled up, Reed said some days are harder than others to make sure there's enough people behind the counter that can serve.
"We have about 150 employees in our Student Nutrition Department. There was one point last week where we were down about 42 of those employees," she said.
When this happens, according to Reed, the menu may have to be adjusted, depending on what the staff can handle. It also means managers are stepping in to help.
"We are just working really hard to make plans and backup plans and then contingency plans for those plans, so that we are never the reason that school has to be out," she said.
Reed said labor isn't the only problem the school is having to make back-up plans for though.
"Trucks arrive late, food is not coming or is late, or is substituted," she said.
This staffing shortage domino effect, causing food shortages across the country, is the biggest challenge facing the Searcy School District, according to Child Nutrition Director Charlotte Davis.
"It just seems to actually be getting worse, instead of better," she said.
Davis said food they order every year is getting more difficult to find.
"We have to just keep making substitutes all the time, and what used to be a two or three hour process on Mondays to place orders, is now a two day process," she said.
Despite these struggles, districts want to ensure that parents know their child's plate will never by empty.
"That's our priority, is feeding them. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for them," Davis said.
Davis said even though some of the menu items may be changed every now and then, every meal will still meet all the students' nutritional needs.