Gateway may purchase food service truck, free lunches offered

Gateway School District may be in the market for a new food service vehicle.

During a board discussion meeting earlier this month, business manager Mike Zourelias told the Monroeville district’s school directors that bulk food deliveries are sometimes brought to one of the buildings and must be moved to the other schools.

Complicating the matter: the food service department is down a vehicle and has been borrowing trucks for transportation.

Directors Robin Mungo and Jack Bova expressed concern for the need for a refrigerated vehicle, which would cost more to purchase compared to a non-refrigerated truck, and could cost more to insure and keep in service.

“This will be purchased via the food service budget,” Rossi said, adding that the auto insurance would also come from that budget.

Food service has a separate budget from the district, at approximately $2 million per year. It is heavily subsidized by the state and is designed to break even. Rossi said the cost of a new refrigerated vehicle has been considered in that budget.

Board members Cheryl Boise and Valerie Warning also said they would like to see the cost for a regular vehicle versus a refrigerated truck.

Directors were expected to approve advertising for bids when they met June 23.

Other business:

• Kindergarten registration, and registration for any new student, is open for the 2025-26 school year. To register online, visit the district’s website under “parent resources.” Students must be 5 years old before or on August 31 to register for kindergarten. For questions, contact the registration office at 412-373-5705.

• Free lunches are available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday-Thursday at Evergreen Elementary School and the Pitcairn Borough Park Building. Lunches are available for any child 18 or younger; meals must be eaten on site. The program runs through Aug. 7. There will be no lunches the week of July 4.

• A back-to-school event will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Aug. 14 at Gateway Middle School. This is a district-wide event for students and their families, and is in addition to the open houses that will be held at each school.

Resources such as health services and instruction on Parent Square and Skyward will be available. Rossi hopes that this will help parents who are new to the district or those who need help learning the programs.

“It’s a nice, soft start to the school year,” he said.